Sources: Klobuchar threatened to leave DFL convention during challenge from left

ROCHESTER, Minn. (Minnesota Reformer) – While backstage at the Democratic-Farmer-Labor convention Friday night, Sen. Amy Klobuchar loudly declared her frustration and said she was going to abandon the convention after delegates nominated a 26-year-old progressive activist as an alternative to Klobuchar for Minnesota governor, according to two people who overheard the senator’s remarks.

The two DFL activists were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about what they witnessed backstage and fear reprisals from the Klobuchar camp.

Klobuchar would go on to overwhelmingly win the party endorsement on the first ballot with 68%.

But that came after something of a scare, when DFL activists nominated Kobey Layne, a former Minnesota legislative assistant who said that Klobuchar’s candidacy was “the coronation of yet another corporate Democrat.”

Klobuchar expressed outrage to her staff and said that she was going to forgo the convention rather than go through additional speeches and a Q&A, according to the sources, who could clearly hear what she was saying while backstage.

Klobuchar is the state’s most accomplished vote-getter and a formidable fundraiser, and she’s the heavy favorite to win in the general election against a Republican opponent.

Klobuchar’s temperament was an issue during her 2020 presidential campaign, when the national media published stories about her treatment of her staff. “She was known to throw office objects in frustration, including binders and phones, in the direction of aides,” the New York Times reported. The article cited former aides in describing an office environment that was “not just demanding but often dehumanizing.”

Unlike a Senate office, which entails management of a few dozen people, the governor of Minnesota oversees an enterprise of more than 35,000 employees.

Since there were two candidates for the DFL endorsement for governor, Klobuchar and Layne had to give 15-minute pitches to delegates and field some questions. Klobuchar was chosen to speak first, but she didn’t immediately appear on stage, causing an awkward pause in the convention proceedings.

Klobuchar’s campaign for governor declined to comment about the overheard outburst. A spokesperson noted that Klobuchar didn’t leave the convention.

Klobuchar stayed for a thank-you rally and was spotted late at night at a Rochester bar where Ben Schierer’s son’s band was playing. Schierer, the former mayor of Fergus Falls, was announced as her running mate Friday.

After winning the DFL endorsement, Klobuchar told reporters that she “wasn’t surprised” about the challenge from the left.

“I knew going in that this is the process. This is what happens,” Klobuchar said. “I’ve been endorsed several times. I think (in) my first run for Senate I stood for questions with two candidates, so, you know, this has happened before.”

Klobuchar’s campaign also ran into trouble with its campaign swag at the convention — hundreds of foam flashing glow sticks with the senator’s name. They lit up with green LED lights. Convention staffers repeatedly asked people to turn them off. Eventually a delegate asked staff to confiscate the glow sticks because of the risk of seizure by people who are light-sensitive.

Layne said she was not going to abide by the endorsement and will run against Klobuchar in the August primary.

The GOP field includes Army veteran and former healthcare executive Kendall Qualls, who secured the party endorsement for governor on Saturday. MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell filed for the Aug. 11 primary Monday. House Speaker Lisa Demuth appears to be considering running in the primary, despite pledging to abide by the endorsement before the GOP convention.

By Alyssa Chen.