Editor’s note: Ethan Cha won his race by a margin of 6.3%; through our readers, Blue Tent raised $20,899 for Cha. To see how other Blue Tent recommended candidates performed this cycle, read our full 2022 midterms rundown.
Ethan Cha is one of those candidates you want to root for. Born in a Thai refugee camp, he came to Minnesota as a child and pulled himself out of poverty to become a small business owner and a grassroots organizer. (He also has a great mustache.) The genuinely inspiring “about” section on his campaign page speaks to his long journey and his local roots. You can see why the DLCC picked him as a “Spotlight Candidate”—not only is he an ideal contender for Minnesota’s House of Representatives seat in Legislative District 47B, but his election is one of a handful that could decide the direction of the state over the next two years. That’s why Blue Tent is rating supporting Cha’s campaign as a high priority for donors.
Below, we explore three key questions about Cha’s candidacy that small and medium donors should answer before supporting campaigns. (See how we evaluate candidates.)
Is this election important?
Minnesota is at a pivot point this cycle. Though voters normally support Democratic presidential candidates and elect Democrats statewide (the state party is officially called the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party), control of the legislature here is currently split between the Republicans, who control the State Senate, and the DFL, which runs the House. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rates the House as a toss-up, and if Republicans can gain control of the chamber, they will greatly hamstring DFL Governor Tim Walz. If Walz loses — which is a possibility — Republicans could get a shocking governing trifecta in a state that most casual observers think of as a Democratic stronghold. Democrats also have an outside chance at getting a trifecta themselves. Picking up a seat in LD47B would help push Democrats in the right direction.
Can Cha win?
He’s a first-time candidate, but as we noted above, one with a solid biography. His opponent, Kelly Fenton, will be familiar to voters because she used to represent the area when it was called LD53B. She lost a close race in 2018, but that was a wave year for Democrats, and she is a formidable challenge for Cha. But the suburban Minneapolis seat should be winnable.
Does he need money?
Unfortunately, Fenton has been winning the fundraising race, bringing in $31,000 to Cha’s $6,000 as of the last reporting. That could be a fairly significant handicap as both campaigns ramp up their operations post-primary. Cha is in a key race that he could win, but he needs more money than he has in the bank—the exact profile of a high priority Blue Tent candidate.