You have to hand it to him.
Minnesota congressional candidate Matt Little is eyeing an ambitious goal this week: More than 13,000 handshakes in eight hours, which would be a new world record.
He said it’s been on his mind for more than a decade: a record so untouched it has only been held by two other people, an influential governor and one of the nation’s most formative presidents.
Little will need to break the late New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s Guinness World Record for most handshakes by a politician, which he achieved in 2002 by shaking 13,392 hands in just eight hours, besting President Theodore Roosevelt’s previous mark of 8,513.
Trending
Little, who beat a crowded primary field to become the Democratic nominee for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, will take on the challenge Saturday at the Minnesota State Fair.
“I like competitive activities but I also love shaking hands,” Little said in an interview with NOTUS on Thursday. “I do think that is the foundational building block of our democracy, like the Constitution, is a written handshake, right? In these times too, we’ve got to get back to that. I believe very strongly the things I believe in, and I’m willing to have that conversation with anybody, even if we’re diametrically opposed.”
Not that there will be much time for talking — to reach the world record, Little estimates that he’ll have to average a whopping 29 handshakes a minute.
The progressive and former state senator said he is also pursuing this big challenge because he wants to bring the record “home to Minnesota.” Little is currently running against Republican state Sen. Eric Pratt to succeed Rep. Angie Craig, who lost a Senate primary last month to Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
To prepare for Saturday’s event, Little told NOTUS he has been training for weeks with a hand-gripper exercise tool to build strength. He stopped doing his regular exercise routine, which usually consists of push-ups and pull-ups, on Wednesday because “we don’t want any injuries or pulled muscles heading into Saturday morning.”
When asked if he was serious about pausing physical activity ahead of Saturday’s record-breaking attempt, Little replied, “I’m, as the kids say these days, deadass.”
Little estimated his current personal best is the 1,000 hands he shook during a parade this year.
On Saturday, Little plans to begin his journey at the booth for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. If the attendance slows down, Little said he will pivot to seeking out the state fair’s longest lines, where his campaign staff will tell eventgoers, “There’s gonna be a guy coming by trying to shake as many hands to break a world record, we’d love you to participate.”
Little’s staff will keep track using clickers. They will also film the event and upload it to YouTube for verification purposes.
As for how he plans to avoid germs, Little said there will be plenty of hand sanitizer on hand for both himself and those who shake his hand.
“Every handshake is unique, and it’s never the same experience twice,” he said. “I’m gonna give it my all.”
Author
