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Capitol View®
Catharine Richert

Group aims to help Loon win primary

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House Republican Jenifer Loon of Eden Prairie will be getting a boost from a GOP-backed political fund.

Freedom Minnesota PAC says it will raise and spend money on behalf of Loon, who is facing a primary challenge from Sheila Kihne.

Kihne's primary criticism of Loon is that she voted to legalize same-sex marriage - a criticism that has earned her the backing of Minnesota Family Council, a group that opposes same-sex marriage.

Freedom Minnesota PAC treasurer and long-time GOP operative Brian McClung said Loon has a solidly conservative record.

“She’s voted against every tax increase, fought against Obamacare’s implementation in Minnesota and voted against the DFL’s $90 million office building for politicians," McClung wrote in an email. “Rep. Loon is a common sense conservative leader – she has a 100% record with the Minnesota Chamber, an ‘A’ rating from the National Rifle Association, a 100% voting record with Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, and a 92% rating from the Taxpayers League of Minnesota."

So far, there's no word on how much money the group has raised.

Freedom Minnesota PAC lists Republican businessman Wheelock Whitney as its chair. Whitney was a high-profile advocate for legalizing same-sex marriage in 2013 and opposing a constitutional amendment to ban the practice in 2012.

Loon is one of two House GOP lawmakers who faced a primary challenge over their views on same-sex marriage. In House district 30B, Rep. David FitzSimmons conceded the GOP endorsement to Eric Lucero in February after Lucero made FitzSimmons' vote for same-sex marriage a key issue in his campaign for the endorsement.

The primary is Aug. 12.