KEITH ELLISON 1,908 46.51
MIKE ERLANDSON 1,345 32.79
EMBER REICHGOTT JUNGE 656 15.99

The Henn Co site doesn't specify which precincts.

Keith just took the stage. I don't type fast enough to tell you more than he said:

"We will remember that we came to together for a common agenda, to put the people first."

So he encouraged us to have a good time. I am. So are the people around me. We're a little nervous, but that's to be expected.

Just heard a roar cuz Keith just entered the building.

16 precincts reporting from Fridley.

EMBER REICHGOTT JUNGE 669 23.42
KEITH ELLISON 532 18.62
MIKE ERLANDSON 1392 48.72

11 precincts reporting. From Fridley.

Erlandson 47%
Ember 25%
Ellison 19%

Someone just told me that MPR is reporting that Minneapolis is goin 2-for-1 for Ellison. 7 suburban precincts reporting with Erlandson gaining 50%. We have no idea which precincts.

updated 8:39 - Just heard that those 7 precincts are from Fridley.

Hi!

Just got online via the Blue Nile's wireless setup. MPR is here. Two of the TV stations have their trucks outside. Britt Robson from City Pages is here as is Terry Collins and Doug Growe from the Strib.

So your not-so-humble blogger, The Big E, is here. Ready for results to roll in.

[update]
11-9 was at 347 at 5:45pm. This is cool. They're blowing away their turnout from the 2005 Primary turnout, but won't be near the 2005 General. 400 people voting would still only 15% of registered voters.

10-7 is behaving normally compared to the 2005 Primary turnout. They're at 270 around 5pm. This projects to 350 for 18-19%.
[end update]

I just voted. I was the 308th person to vote in Ward 8 Precinct 7 at about 4:45pm. We're very likely going to break the 406 who voted in the 2005 Primary, but won't beat the 2005 General total of 711.

I'm predicting the 8-7 will hit 30% turnout. The 8-7 was 4th overall in turnout for the city in the last primary. My pipe dream of approaching 40% was ... just that ... a dream.

I heard something really funny on NPR (National Public Radio) this morning. It was a piece on states suddenly finding surpluses in their coffers. They got a quote from Arizona State Senator and Republican Dean Martin explaining why its so important to give tax surpluses back to their constituents:

"When you go to a restaurant and you pay the bill, you don't leave your change behind."

I would have driven off the road if I hadn't been stopped at a stop sign. Man, those Republicans are funny. The reason you leave some change at the restaurant is because you leave a tip. Do most Republicans stiff the wait staff? Let's be somewhat fair .. I bet most Republicans like Dean Martin leave 3-5% tips. I leave 20% if I liked the food and the service. Wait staffs rely on tips to make their living, their hourly wage is usually pretty low.

Check out mnpublius for live updates from Keith Ellison's Campaign HQ.

About 250 people turned out for midnight madness for Keith. A whole mess of folks talked to pump up the crowd. Frank Hornstein, Robert Lilligren, Peggy Flanagan, Patricia Torres Rey, Steve Kelly and R.T. Rybak. Rybak might've had the best line of the night:

"Look around the room tonight, because we're going to make history in electing the first African-American to Congress from Minnesota. There's going to be a whole lot of folks who weren't here that are going to say they were. So take a close look around ... we're the one's who are going to make history."

Then some kid talked, Keith's "spiritual" son. The kid was really fired up and gave quite a pep talk. I'll find out who he was ... he did quite a good job.

Drove by Erlandson's campaign headquarters around 9pm on our way to Keith's Midnight Madness. Three more people were there than last night ... that means 9 people were there.

Also, I got my robocall from the Erlandson campaign. I assume it was Marty Sabo's voice ... Qwest voicemail cut off the intro part, but I heard the meat.

If you've got time this afternoon and early evening, call the Ellison Campaign HQ at 612-522-4416. They still need folks phone banking and door knocking.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS!
Featuring Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-04), Mayor R.T. Rybak and Mark Ritchie
Monday, September 11, starting at 9:00 pm
American Indian Center
1530 E. Franklin Ave.
(at the corner of Bloomington)

We’ll be leaving literature in every neighborhood that will remind people Tuesday morning that THE TIME IS NOW to VOTE FOR KEITH!

…Apologies to those who live outside of Congressional District 5 (Minneapolis and some suburbs). Perhaps you might still benefit by reading the following and calling your CD 5 friends.

Letter to Progressives: Why Keith Ellison Must Win

Tuesday, September 12, is the big day. On Tuesday, Democrats from CD 5 will pick the replacement for 28-year incumbent Martin Sabo. At this point, the race is too close to call between frontrunners Keith Ellison, Ember Reichgott Junge, and Mike Erlandson.

On this election eve, I want to express why I feel why this primary is so important, why it represents far more than the political futures of just these candidates.

I drove by the Erlandson Campaign headquarters at 8pm. There were two people calling and 4 others sitting around the back. While maybe most of their volunteers had gone home, it was good to see so little activity.

I've seen the Ellison HQ way more busy on a significantly less important night than tonite.

It was a long day of GOTV activity. There were alot of folks at the phone bank I went to for the first part of the day. About 12 were calling in three separate spaces. And this was just the phone bank location I was at. There were three other locations I'm aware of.

Then I went to the rally at North High School for Keith. Greg Gray (DFL endorsed for Hennepin County Commissioner), Toni Carter (Ramsey County Commissioner), Andy Luger and Peter McLaughlin all spoke. Then it was Keith's turn. I was standing in the back next to Keith's driver, Ethan. I asked him "how many times have you heard this?"

Keith has nothing on his website, yet, about Net Neutrality. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge. I asked the campaign where he stands on the issue and the official word is:

Keith is for Net Neutrality

For those of you who don't yet know about it. Net Neutrality is a huge issue for the future of the internet. The main contention is whether or not corporations should be able to control who gets high bandwidth access and how much it costs. The implication is that large corporations could discriminate against whose voices get heard. This is what alarms me.

Here's some background info for those who want more infO:

I just talked to Pam Costain who is running Keith's campaign about how the GOTV efforts have been going. She said "absolutely fabulously."

"Ab fab?" I replied. "That good?"

"Yes." There have been over 200 volunteers out doorknocking and lit dropping throughout the city. At the SIEU sponsored doorknock that started out of Linda Higgin's house this morning, there were "Jews, Muslims, Christians, people of all races out working for Keith, it was great."

Furthermore, she hasn't had heard that much about what the other campaigns are up to ... apparently they haven't been out there as heavily. And that is good to hear.

There's a ton to do this weekend for all you Keith supporters out there. Then find some time on Monday for some Midnight Madness. Then the Campaign is urging supporters to take Tuesday off to help in the final GOTV push.

Phone Banking
There are many phone banks running all weekend, all over town. Call Campaign HQ at 612-522-4416 to find the unused phone near you.

Lit Dropping and Door Knocking
There are three main staging locations on Northside, South/Southwest and University/Southeast/Nordeast. All lit dropping and doorknocking will be coordinated out of these locations. Plus Midnight Madness activities will be coordinated out of these locations as well.

Fighting Democrat Tim Walz is under a smear attack of lies and innuendo in Minnesota's First Congressional District (MN-01). Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht has been running scared for a while now ... running from his rubberstamping voting record, running from the Bush Administration and desparately hoping for something to distract voters in southern Minnesota from the real issues.

The Republicans may have found it. In 1995, Tim Walz was pulled over for speeding and arrested for DUI. The only problem for the Republicans Lie Machine is he wasn't drunk. Tim has significant hearing loss. He couldn't hear the officer who pulled him over. The judge threw the case out.

This just in from Democracy for Minnesota:

The Deaniacs are at it again. Endorsing good candidates. This time the DFA is endorsing Mark Ritchie. Mark is the DFL-endorsed candidate running against Republican Mary Kiffmeyer for Minnesota Secretary of State. This also means they will be trying to raise some money for him.

Here's what they have to say about Mark:

The great part about calling voters about the Fifth Congressional (CD5) race in your area is you get a feel for the "lay of the land." Well in the 8th Ward 6th Precinct, voters are overwhelmingly in favor of Keith Ellison. In my unscientific polling, Keith's running away with it:

Keith - 20
Leaning Keith - 7
Undecided - 3
Not Keith - 2
Mike - 2

I've maintained that Keith needs to do really well in the city of Minneapolis especially in the high turnout areas like the 8-6. So far, so good. Its also nice to know that I converted some leaners to Keith supporters and hopefully swayed some undecideds toward Keith. Everyone who supports Keith ought to do something to help him this weekend. Even if it's just for a couple of hours.