Outstanding in their field: A lavishly funded ground operation helped the DFL conquer the Minnesota Legislature

One night in August, a MinnPost reporter parked by the stately Andover home of Mike Gamache, an Anoka County Commissioner who was staging a volunteer night for Angie Nelson, a DFL candidate for state Senate.

Isak Terrill, a spokesperson for the Senate DFL Caucus, greeted the reporter before he had even hit the door. Terrill had texted minutes earlier, making sure he could find the place.

Inside, a table full of volunteers introduced themselves and offered up bowls full of snacks. There was also Amy Peterson, a Senate DFL Caucus organizer. Terrill said that in addition to statewide employees like Peterson and himself, each close Senate contest had the equivalent of two full-time staffers.

Last Tuesday, Nelson defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Abeler, winning with a little less than 54% of the vote. 

Abeler – who has served in the Legislature since 1998 – did not have any staff and biked by himself door-to-door...