THE DAY AFTER
Twins lose. Loons win.
The new Major League Volleyball Team name is: The Forge
The Vikings named Kyler Murray as their starting QB over J.J. McCarthy this season. FOX9: https://fluence-media.co/4gr4nS3
The annual St. Paul Nut Roll bike ride will continue as planned despite the city’s recent Pearson’s closure. PIPRESS: https://fluence-media.co/3SoEFoa
Rod Stewart has canceled his Sept. 1 State Fair concert due to a heart procedure. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/45qNEbp
Across the river, Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary was nailbitingly close. AP: https://fluence-media.co/3S7MY7D
Happy National Vinyl Record Day.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Sunday Take featured a deep dive into the August primaries, the highs and lows of each candidate and more. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gm1n9B
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Energy and anger are the theme of 2026 both the DFL and Republicans have both. DFLers have energy and anger due to ICE and President Donald Trump. Republicans have energy and anger because of fraud, Gov. Tim Walz and advancing the most electable ticket they’ve seen since 2002.
The real question will be: How will independents break?
That puts Minnesota’s most expesive election in history is upon us – national money will pour in, but Minnesotans are likely to soak up summer before getting to the State Fair when the race really starts.
The contrast between in between the DFL and Republican candidates last night was illustrated by Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan addressing and energetic crowd while Michele Tafoya gave interviews from a podcast studio. Sen. Amy Klobuchar gave a speech that framed her message while Speaker Lisa Demuth didn’t have media ready party or speech.
For Republicans the best financed candidates won, for DFLers the less funded candidates including in CD2 won. The over one million voters, a record for a primary broke 62 percent for DFLers and 38 percent for Republicans. The GOP has the most competitive candidates since 2022 when fmr. Gov. Tim Pawlenty and fmr. Sen. Norm Coleman won.
For DFLers they have someone who motivates the far left in Flanagan and someone who can dominate in funsdraising and framing the fix needed in the state – Klobuchar.
In the legislature, Sen. Ron Latz victory suggests that experience still matters. In the Latz seat, Reps. Larry Kraft and Cheryl Youakim who both rallied hard against Latz take an “L”, making the future of the district’s DFL politics – “awkward”.
We have 83 days until the general, but Minnesotans won’t tune-in until the State Fair where crowds and lines will give us a sense of what the “Every Minnesotan” is thinking.
MATCH UP
MATCHUPS: With the 2026 primary now over, here are Minnesota’s expected November matchups in key races based on the latest vote tallies.
GOVERNOR: DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar vs. GOP Speaker Lisa Demuth.
SENATE: DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan vs. Republican Michele Tafoya.
SEC OF STATE: DFL Sec. Steve Simon vs. Republican Tad Jude.
ATTY GENERAL: DFL A.G. Keith Ellison vs. Republican Ron Schutz.
AUDITOR: DFLer Zack Filipovich vs. Republican Scott Jensen.
CD2: DFLer Matt Little vs. Republican Eric Pratt.
FIRSTS: Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Speaker Lisa Demuth are the first women to be nominated for Minnesota governor, and whoever wins will be the state’s first female governor. Demuth is also the first Black nominee for governor. Meanwhile, Demuth and Michele Tafoya are the first Republican nominees for a statewide race since 1996 who were not endorsed by the state party. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan could also become the first Native American woman in the U.S. Senate if she wins in November.
GOV RACE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Amy Klobuchar has rarely — perhaps never — had to worry about winning a general election in Minnesota. … But [Speaker Lisa] Demuth would likely give Klobuchar the toughest general election opponent of her political career. The Republican legislative leader has a statewide profile, a well-funded political operation and a record that could attract voters who are disillusioned with the DFL. … Klobuchar would still be the favorite in the race, [but] in a Minnesota Poll in June, Demuth fared the best of any GOP candidate for governor against Klobuchar, with 40% of voters supporting her compared with 48% for the Democrat.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fSWlBj
MORE: Republican Mike Lindell refused to concede the GOP governor primary last night, telling supporters he “can’t reconcile” the results after opinion polls showed him in the lead. Lindell said he may support the party nominee in the future, but only if “we don’t find anything” after looking into the results. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fSWlBj
SENATE RACE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s already heated U.S. Senate race promised to get a whole lot hotter after Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won a competitive DFL primary race and Republican Michele Tafoya prevailed on the GOP side. Both parties are bearing down for an expensive, intense race over the next three months. … Republicans haven’t won a statewide election in Minnesota since 2006, but Tafoya hopes to appeal to enough independents to lift her in November. … On Tuesday night, [Adam] Schwarze said he wouldn’t support Tafoya as the party nominee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TRdh2A
MORE: Rep. Angie Craig conceded the DFL Senate primary last night, telling supporters to “support and elect Peggy Flanagan as the next U.S. senator from Minnesota.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4xGtC93
ZOOM IN: The Star Tribune interviewed candidates and voters across the state yesterday to hear their thoughts before, during and after the election. Notably, CD2 progressive candidates Matt Little and Rep. Kaela Berg — both running to replace Rep. Angie Craig after previously endorsing her Senate bid — declined to share who they voted for in the Senate primary, while Sen. Matt Klein said he voted for Craig. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fSWlBj
SWING: What do Minnesota swing voters think? A survey of 947 swing voters by the Swing Voter Pilot provides insight in to the mood of the most coveted voters.. The poll defined “swing voters” as independent or undecided voters who “could plausibly support candidates from either party” based on key factors. LEARNMORE: https://fluence-media.co/4cw1k8M (SPONSORED: Swing Voter Project)
RESULTS
TOP RACES: Via Office of the Sec. of State, here are the preliminary results for Minnesota’s competitive primary races. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/4zcfYf7
GOP SEN: Michele Tafoya wins at 53% with Adam Schwarze at 24% and Royce White at 11%.
DFL SEN: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan beats Rep. Angie Craig, 59% to 40%.
GOP GOV: Speaker Lisa Demuth wins at 44% with Mike Lindell at 32% and Kendall Qualls at 22%.
SEC STATE: Republican Tad Jude beats Wendy Phillips, 61% to 39%.
AUDITOR: Republican Scott Jensen beats Nate George, 67% to 26%.
CD2: DFLer Matt Little wins at 47% with Sen. Matt Klein at 30% and Rep. Kaela Berg at 17%.
SD46: DFL Sen. Ron Latz beats Lynette Lungay Dumalag, 60% to 40%.
38A: DFL Rep. Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley beats Wynfred Russell, 49% to 42%.
HENN ATTY: DFL Rep. Cedrick Frazier wins at 36% with Anders Folk at 23%, Diane M. Krenz at 19%, Hao Nguyen at 15% and Matt Pelikan at 7%.
REACTIONS: Members of both parties offered support for their candidates and condemnations for their opponents yesterday.
Via Adam Schwarze, Republican Senate candidate, SCHWARZE: “I do not think I will be involved in Republican Party politics if I don’t win this. If you put Michele Tafoya and Angie Craig in a bucket and just pulled out their names, you wouldn’t actually know which one’s the Republican. … If I lose, it’s not because we didn’t do the right things. It’s just because we couldn’t compete against the D.C. Goliath.”
Via Richard Carlbom, DFL chair, CARLBOM: “Donald Trump has been waging war on Minnesota for the last year, and Ron Schutz wants to be his top lieutenant. Schutz said he doubts Donald Trump would take unlawful actions after Trump illegally tried to cut funding for Minnesota schools, healthcare, and childcare, and after Trump’s surge of ICE agents led to the deaths of two Minnesotans. Schutz wouldn’t lift a finger to stop Trump, he’d hold the door open for Trump’s cruelty and corruption.”
Via Eric Pratt, CD2 GOP nominee, PRATT: “For months, I have traveled across this district listening to families, farmers and small-business owners. They are tired of the political chaos and frustrated with a government that costs more but has done little to help CD2 residents. They want a steady, experienced representative who understands the pressures they face and knows how to deliver results.”
VOTING
MONITORING: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “A KARE 11 crew spotted two federal [election] monitors outside Powderhorn Recreation Center Tuesday afternoon. The federal observers were only there for a few minutes and asked a couple of people how the process went. A [state] election judge came out to confirm their identities and make sure they were aware they needed to stay 100 feet from the polling place. Federal monitors observing elections isn’t unusual, but sending state election observers to monitor them is unusual.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4zel5vl
SAVE ACT: Via MinnPost, a look at how the “SAVE America Act” would impact Minnesota elections, according to Sec. Steve Simon and other local officials. VERBATIM: “Minnesota election officials and voting rights experts interviewed by MinnPost no longer expect the legislation to pass this year. And in the unlikely event that [it passed], they believe courts would delay it until after the November elections. They warn, however, that should the SAVE America Act or something like it pass into law after the midterms, it would upend elections in Minnesota. … Simon said Minnesota would have to overhaul its registration system — and likely require people to register in person, at least initially. And because Minnesota allows same-day registration at polling places, the state’s 30,000-odd election officials and part-time judges would need to be trained to spot forged citizenship documents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TS6tll
MAIL VOTES: via Axios, VERBATIM: “A federal judge on Tuesday expanded an earlier block on part of President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to tighten rules for mail-in voting ahead of November’s elections. The ruling freezes a key piece of Trump’s attempted overhaul of mail-in voting for all U.S. states. A previous ruling in a separate case had limited a block for the 23 Democratic states that sued over the president’s order, [including Minnesota].” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qawA31
MORE LEADERS. MORE IDEAS. COMPLIMENTARY REGISTRATION: You are invited to attend Compeer Financial’s complimentary Rooted & Rising: Rural Forum this September 14-16 as leaders from across rural communities come together to strengthen the towns we call home. The event brings together community champions, local officials, nonprofit partners and business leaders to explore strategies that strengthen rural economies and expand opportunities. You’ll join more than 30 speakers and fellow leaders for practical ideas, inspiring stories and meaningful connections focused on economic development, workforce, housing, entrepreneurship and community leadership. We encourage you to invite a colleague, community partner or fellow rural changemaker to join you. Registration will remain open as space allows. Secure your seat at no cost today. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/4q3pJZ2 (SPONSORED: Compeer Financial)
ISSUES
REVENUE: The state Dept. of Management and Budget (MMB) recorded net general fund revenues of $2.382 billion for July, which was $133 million (5.9%) more than forecast. Revenues from income tax, sales tax, corporate tax and other sources all exceeded Minnesota’s expectations. Via MPR, this report means the fiscal year is “starting in positive territory,” but because it only covers income, “it’s unclear if the spending side is as rosy.” DETAILS: MMB | MPR
WILDFIRES: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A crew member working to contain the wildfires burning in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has died. … The Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team, which is overseeing the fires under the command of the Superior National Forest and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, says an individual assigned to the fires had a ‘medical emergency.’ … Fire personnel and emergency medical services transferred the person to a hospital, where the patient subsequently died.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TNEq6A
TICKS: via Sen. Tina Smith advisory, VERBATIM: “Senator Tina Smith announced the bipartisan Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act passed the Senate unanimously. The bill will expand research, testing and treatment for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. … Over the past two decades, Minnesota has experienced a significant rise in tick-borne diseases. … Lyme disease remains the state’s most commonly reported tick-borne illness, with 3,551 probable cases reported in 2024. In the same year, Minnesota also reported hundreds of cases of other tickborne diseases.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wX3u9S
The latest MNSider Brief covered which candidates are most likely to win their primaries based on fundraising, polling and more. ICYMI: https://fluence-media.co/4hpe1pj
PUBLIC SAFETY
CRIME STATS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Violent crime trends in Minneapolis had mixed results, with homicides and robberies declining while reported aggravated assaults and rapes increased, according to a new report [comparing] data from Jan. 1 to June 30 of 2026 versus last year. … [In 2026], Minneapolis police reported 25 homicides, down slightly from 26 reports in 2025. Rape reports increased, with 252 cases compared to 214 last year. For robberies, there were 404 reports, which is down from 502 in 2025. In 2026, there were 1,518 aggravated assault cases, which is up from 1,346 last year.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3SsQj1i
FLOCK CAMS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Duluth has joined other communities in Minnesota and across the country that are pulling the plug on the hotly debated [Flock camera] devices, while another is weighing a halt to installation midway into the process. … The Duluth Police Department announced Tuesday that it will let its grant-funded one-year contract with Flock run out, effective Sept. 7, without renewing. … North Branch in east-central Minnesota is scheduled to consider hitting the brakes on accepting Flock cameras [tonight].” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4zeiMs8
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Moorhead police said Flock camera technology helped to arrest a Staples man who is now facing charges for stealing and burning items that were inside. … Moorhead Police Chief Chris Helmick [said] ‘This case shows the impact of strong regional partnerships and effective technology in policing.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4xziCKk
CLEAN | RELIABLE | AFFORDABLE: via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “We’re powering the Upper Midwest with clean, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy. For more than 50 years, our Prairie Island Nuclear Plant, located near Red Wing, MN, has been a workhorse of reliable, carbon-free energy. With two pressurized water reactors producing about 1,100 megawatts, Prairie Island generates enough electricity to power 1.5 million homes across the Upper Midwest. Unlike sources that depend on weather, nuclear energy delivers 24/7 reliability — providing the power we need today while protecting the environment for tomorrow.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4oCHdK9 (SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
METRO
COTTAGE GROVE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The Cottage Grove City Council voted unanimously last week to stop providing emergency medical services to St. Paul Park and Newport, citing rising healthcare costs and increased need for services as communities have grown. The City Council voted to continue services to Grey Cloud Island. … The next step is approval by the state’s Office of Emergency Medical Services to modify Cottage Grove EMS’s primary service area. Once that happens, Fairview EMS will provide service for the cities of Newport and St. Paul Park, potentially beginning as soon as Sept. 1.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i43y2Q
ANOKA-HENN: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Parents in the Anoka-Hennepin School District fighting to get a referendum on the November ballot are appealing a judge’s ruling denying their petition. … Parents for Good collected more than 3,000 signatures to force a ballot [measure] and stop school cuts. The district maintains only the school board can make that decision, [and] a judge agreed with the district. … The parent group filed an appeal on the same day.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4qlGgaT
FOREST LAKE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The Washington County Board on Tuesday morning approved Forest Lake Mayor Blake Roberts’ appointment to the Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District by a 4-1 vote. The lone dissenter was Commissioner Michele Clasen, who represents the Woodbury area, who raised concerns about the potential for conflicts of interest and said it is ‘very unusual’ for a mayor to be on a watershed board.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cCUM8r
HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold-certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3VASKg4 (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
GREATER MN
NORTHERN: via Bemidji Pioneer, VERBATIM: “The first elected Northern mayor and city council will be established on Tuesday, Nov. 3, following its approval to become a city earlier this year. Northern’s filing period recently concluded, and a total of nine candidates will be on the ballot for mayor and four at-large council member seats — meaning they will represent the entire city rather than separate wards or districts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fTZ1yK
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Rochester Mayor Kim Norton is planning a town-hall meeting focused on transportation in the city. The event is slated for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20. … Topics are expected to include Rochester Public Transit, parking, the upcoming LINK Bus Rapid Transit system and opportunities to walk, bike and roll throughout the community.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TUD5uD
BAXTER: via Brainerd Dispatch, VERBATIM: “Indoor air quality at the Baxter Water Treatment plant was investigated, finding some areas of the plant were never ventilated and others had failing equipment. The Baxter City Council heard the results of the on-site evaluation from Short Elliott and Hendrickson during a work session. … Nick Brula, mechanical engineer with SEH, [said] they found ventilation equipment in the facility no longer functions due to the corrosive nature of chlorine in the air, exacerbating some code compliance issues.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bEzGX2
DAYBOOK
TODAY: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will deliver his 2027 budget address at 11:00 a.m.
TOMORROW: St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her will deliver her 2027 budget address at 11:00 a.m.
THIS WEEK: Fluence sponsor Xcel Energy and industry partners are hosting a series of open houses on their planned “PowerOn Midwest” electric transmission projects from Tuesday, Aug. 4 to Thursday, Aug. 13. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/4yHUlDi
AUG 20: Sen. Torrey Westrom and Rep. Paul Anderson, both GOP, will host a roundtable to discuss the reopening of the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 2:30 p.m.
SEPT 9: The IRRR Board is hosting its third annual “State of the Range” event in Chisholm on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 4:00 p.m.
We won’t ask for “membership” to list your BDAY, and we won’t have pledge drive but you can support the Fluence work by paying for premium content.
BDAYS: belated to Fluence Advisory’s Jane Kolar, MN Senate’s Maddie Majerus, business leader Kelly Jahner-Bynre, organizer Reed Millar, General Mills GC Karen Wilson Thissen, Ellison COS Donna Cassutt
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.