A candidate running for Congress in Minnesota who claimed he was manipulated by Democratic operatives to enter the race as a spoiler has announced the suspension of his campaign and is backing his Republican competitor.
Thomas Bowman, an independent candidate in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, expressed that he has come to understand that he was used as a “pawn” in a strategy to fracture the conservative vote, orchestrated by Democrats.
Bowman was one of several individuals enlisted by the Patriots Run Project. This organization aimed to place pro-Trump independent candidates in at least eight significant House and Senate races across the country.
An investigation discovered that various Democratic consulting firms and donors are covertly behind this initiative, utilizing misleading Facebook pages and websites to reel in candidates while also funding efforts to secure ballot access.
Bowman indicated that he will bow out of the race and now supports Republican Joe Teirab, who is trying to dethrone incumbent Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in the suburban area near Minneapolis. Although he has suspended his campaign, his name will still be listed on the ballot come election day.
“I invested considerable time and energy influencing this election as a pawn in this plot,” remarked Bowman, 71, a retired individual who had positioned himself as a constitutional conservative.
In a previous interview, Bowman had speculated that Democratic operatives may have been behind his recruitment to help ensure that Craig retained her seat. He mentioned receiving nearly $20,000 in donations intended for signature collection to gain ballot access and had not seen any issues with this arrangement at the time.
Bowman’s perspective shifted upon discovering that one of the donors, Elizabeth Steinglass, also contributed to Craig’s campaign. Steinglass and her spouse, David, have donated millions to Democratic political candidates and organizations, both giving the maximum allowable amount to Craig’s current campaign.
Joe Teirab praised Bowman for his bravery in exposing the alleged underhanded tactics used by allies of Angie Craig in an effort to meddle in the election.
The Craig campaign, however, denied any involvement in Bowman’s efforts to enter the race.
The Steinglass family has opted not to comment, but several other Democratic contributors have also supported different candidates enlisted by the Patriots Run Project.
Some candidates from the group did not secure a place on the ballot, and Bowman is the second candidate to withdraw after recognizing they had been exploited.
In Iowa, state authorities have initiated an investigation into potential election fraud after independent candidate Joe Wiederien alleged that he was deceived and subsequently removed his name from the ballot for a competitive House race.
A complaint has been filed with the Federal Election Commission, asserting that the Patriots Run Project did not register as a political committee, which would typically disclose the identities of its leaders and contributors. Consequently, Facebook has removed the group’s pages, and their websites have since been taken down.
Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, “America First” candidate Thomas Leager stated he would continue his campaign against Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger Eric Hovde, admitting he had “made the mistake of trusting the Patriots Run Project,” yet remains determined.
“At the end of the day, I’m grateful and blessed to have the chance to try and serve the state and country I love to the best of my ability,” he remarked.
