In 3rd District race, candidates employ flash mobs, dueling ads — and Bigfoot

Erik Paulsen talks as Dean Phillips listens at the debate at the UBS Forum at Minnesota Public Radio. Credit: Tony Saunders, MPR News

On a gloomy fall Wednesday in suburban Minnesota, Bowzer was hitting all the right notes.

Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, the former member of 50s-style rock group Sha Na Na, was playing the 1953 song, “Goodnite, sweetheart, goodnite” on his keyboard. But instead of sweetheart, Bowzer subbed in the name of the local congressman, Republican Erik Paulsen.

“Don’t hate to leave you, but we really must say, goodnight Erik Paulsen, goodnight,” Bowzer sang, leading a small crowd gathered in Excelsior, Minn. This was moments after Bowzer endorsed Democrat Dean Phillips’ campaign for Congress with his jaw agape and an enthusiastic single-arm flex, his signature move.

View the complete article by Briana Bierschbach on the MPR News website here.