Fine's campaign largely focused on Ellison's past ties to the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan, while Lee's campaign emphasised her fiscal centrism, declaring that Fine was too conservative to beat Ellison. In contrast to Fine and Lee, Pond declared that Ellison was insufficiently liberal, stating that he had not been fast enough to denounce the Iraq War. However, Pond largely failed to gain traction, which was attributed to Ellison's staunch progressivism drawing off left-wing support that Pond might otherwise have received.
This passage describes the campaigns of three candidates in an election. Fine's campaign focused on Ellison's past ties to controversial figures, Lee emphasized fiscal centrism, and Pond criticized Ellison's lack of liberal stances.  The outcome of each campaign was influenced by their strategies and the political landscape.