A congressional candidate in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District has suspended his campaign and endorsed his Republican rival after realizing he was being used as a pawn by Democrats. Thomas Bowman, an independent candidate, admitted to being deceived by a group called the Patriots Run Project, which aimed to split the conservative vote in key House and Senate races. The group, allegedly backed by Democratic consulting firms and donors, used deceptive tactics to recruit candidates and fund their ballot access efforts.
Bowman, a retiree campaigning as a constitutional conservative, received donations to gather signatures for ballot access. However, he decided to withdraw from the race and endorse Republican Joe Teirab after discovering connections between one of the donors and the Democratic incumbent, Rep. Angie Craig. Bowman expressed regret for unknowingly participating in a scheme to influence the election.
This revelation comes amidst similar incidents in other states. In Iowa, an independent candidate withdrew from a House race after claiming he was tricked, leading to an election fraud inquiry. In Wisconsin, another candidate announced his decision to continue his campaign despite feeling misled by the Patriots Run Project.
The Craig campaign denied any involvement in Bowman's ballot access efforts, emphasizing that they were not connected to his decision to run as an independent candidate. The Steinglass family, major Democratic donors linked to the Patriots Run Project, declined to comment on the situation.
As scrutiny grows, a complaint has been filed with the Federal Election Commission regarding the group's failure to register as a political committee. Facebook has removed the group's pages, and its websites have been taken down, raising questions about the transparency of its operations.
Despite the controversy surrounding the Patriots Run Project, some candidates remain committed to their campaigns. While Bowman and others have withdrawn due to feeling manipulated, candidates like Thomas Leager in Wisconsin are determined to continue their pursuit of public service.
