Swastika posters appear in Minn. state Senate race

Published 9:09 am Tuesday, September 21, 2010

BROWNS VALLEY, Minn. — Swastika posters showing a Minnesota state Senate candidate’s image near one of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler have been showing up on telephone poles and street signs in Traverse County.

The Forum of Fargo, N.D., reported Tuesday that authorities were alerted over the weekend to the posters targeting Republican Senate candidate Jeff Backer. He is the mayor of Browns Valley and facing longtime DFL Sen. Keith Langseth in the far western Minnesota district.

Nine were found this weekend and five more appeared on Monday. Traverse County Sheriff Bob Marts says Backer’s wife filed a complaint, but there are currently no witnesses or suspects. Marts says he doesn’t know what charges a person would face if caught.

Backer says he considers the posters “trivial” and won’t let them distract his campaign. Langseth says he suspects the people behind the posters “wanted to make my opponent look bad or make me look bad.”