Wild and Loons win. Wolves lose.
Vikings acquire an OT. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ceic4B
Athletes from the Twins, Vikings, Wild, United and Frost are hosting events and ads encouraging Minnesotans to vote. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/40opWLp
Sign-up for Sports Take a weekly preview of the week ahead published on Thursdays. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/SportsTakeSignUp
The Supreme Court declined to hear an RFK Jr. election case, so he will remain on ballots in Wisconsin and Michigan. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4hiDzlH
There’s an updated vision for George Floyd Square. STRIB: https://fluence-media.co/4hiVlFc
The Harris-Walz Campaign has a playable advertisement in the game Fortnite to reach young voters. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4e5mgRZ
Parts of Minnesota will see the season’s first snow on Halloween. BMTN: https://fluence-media.co/4f8OoVN
It’s National Candy Corn Day!
Blois
From Sunday Take, the US Senate debate between Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Royce White. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3YotkDr
Sign-up for Sports Take a weekly preview of the week ahead published on Thursdays. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/SportsTakeSignUp
Sign-up for Walz Watch: https://fluence-media.co/walzwatch
If you’re looking for a speaker or election analysis for your summer or fall event, please reach out. bloisolson@gmail.com
POLL: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Democrat Kamala Harris has an 8-point lead in our final KSTP/SurveyUSA poll of the 2024 presidential race. Harris leads Republican Donald Trump 51% to 43%, with 3% undecided and 2% preferring another candidate. … Harris led by 6 points in our survey in late September. … Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier said after reviewing the results [that] he was surprised so few respondents identified themselves as ‘independents’ in the poll, a group where Trump holds a 1-point edge. … ‘Usually about a third of Minnesotans say they’re independent — less than 20% say they are in this survey,’ Schier said. … Harris and Trump are now [tied] among men and Harris leads by 16 points among women. Last month, Trump led men by 12 points and Harris led women by 18. … Harris leads by 33 in urban areas of the state and by 13 in suburban areas. Trump leads by 23 in rural areas.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40okOXZ
CABINET: Minnesota’s political leadership could see a major shuffle if the Harris-Walz campaign wins, we call it “choose your own adventure”. While Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has been very quiet about her plan if she is elevated to Governor state law requires appointments of new commissioners when the office of Governor is vacated. Therefore, Flanagan will have the ability to build her own team. That said, keeping as much consistency is likely the desired strategy at least through the legislative session. The commissioners would have to be re-confirmed by the Minnesota Senate. If Republicans were to pick up SD45, add another point of contention for an already potentially chaotic session. Here’s the statute language, VERBATIM: “The term of a commissioner shall end with the term of the office of governor. In addition, the term shall end if the governor vacates office.” STATUTE: https://fluence-media.co/40vW7sm
CD8 DEBATE: GOP Rep. Pete Stauber and DFL challenger Jen Schultz participated in a 40-minute debate on WDIO last night. Stauber and Schultz are competing in a rematch after previously facing off in 2022. The debate mainly focused on mining and shipping — two critical industries for the Iron Range — but also included topics like inflation, housing, gun violence, foreign policy, and accepting the results of the presidential election. Notably, Stauber broke from some Republicans and said he will accept the 2024 election results, pointing out that he previously voted to certify the results in 2020. The full debate is available to view online. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3CdLGQ8
CD3: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The race for Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District wraps up in one week as Kelly Morrison and Tad Jude face off. Morrison, a former Democratic state senator, resigned her seat back in June. … Morrison’s 20-year OB-GYN career shaped her platform. She’s passionate about women’s rights and lowering the cost of health care. … Jude has served as a state representative, senator, county commissioner and district court judge. He also served in the Army reserves. … In 1972, [Jude] was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives at 20 years old. At the time, he was the youngest state lawmaker ever elected. … 2024 marks Jude’s third run for Congress. He lost as a Democrat in 1992 and again after his switch to the Republican party in 1994. … Jude and Morrison both tout moderation, but are notably split down party lines on abortion.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fpys12
MORE: CD3 candidate Kelly Morrison was asked in her KSTP interview what she thinks of Rep. Dean Phillips, who she is campaigning to replace after he declined to run for reelection this year. Both are DFLers. MORRISON: “I think that Dean Phillips and I have a lot in common in the way that we approach leadership and legislation, but certainly, my plan is to represent everyone in the district.”
HD2A: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “It’s clear the two candidates for the District 2A Minnesota House race don’t really like each other much…At a recent Red Lake Nation candidate fair at the community center – Oshkiimaajitahdah in Redby — DFLer Reed Olson talked about allegations Republican newcomer Bidal Duran made during closing remarks of a televised debate a few days earlier…Just before it wrapped up Duran accused Olson of being a member of an ultra-progressive caucus led by Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. Olson said it enraged him. He likened the comment not to a dog whistle but a dog siren.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3A8I81f
DFL FUNDS: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Outside groups backed by labor unions and wealthy individuals are spending big to defend the [DFL’s] control of Minnesota state government. … This latest data from the state [finance] board is the last look Minnesotans will get into how much candidates, parties and political action committees have collected and spent this year prior to the Nov. 5 election. … So far this cycle, outside groups — including party and political action committees — have poured more than $17 million into legislative campaigns. Democrats have been the recipients of the lions’ share of that money, particularly in the key races that will determine the control of the House. … Eight campaigns have surpassed $1 million in outside spending.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e6KjjH
BALLOTS: FOX 9 has an explainer on Minnesota’s early voting laws and how ballots will be counted. Minnesota is one of about a dozen states that allows early ballots to be counted before Election Day, but the results will not be public until polls close at 8:00 p.m. on Nov. 5. READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3UsLq68
STATE GOV: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “If Vice-President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz win the White House, it will have an impact on the Minnesota state government. … Peggy Flanagan, 45, is Minnesota’s 50th Lieutenant Governor and would move up to the Governor’s Office if Walz resigns from office. … [Then], the state constitution calls for the state senate president to move up to the role of Lt. Governor. The current state senate president is DFL Senator Bobby Joe Champion from Minneapolis. … If the Special Election in Senate District 45 goes Republican, it would shift the balance of the power in the chamber. But it doesn’t appear it would impact Champion if he’s elevated to the Lt. Governor Office before the legislature gavels in for a new session on Jan. 14.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3UtNWJg
MORE WALZ: Sign up for Walz Watch, our new tip sheet, and get all the latest national news about the governor’s VP campaign HERE: https://fluence-media.co/walzwatch
POT: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Like everyone in and around the fledgling legal cannabis industry in Minnesota, Carol Moss was anxious to know when the first cannabis licensing lottery might be held, [so] the Minneapolis attorney with a cannabis law practice tried some math last month. According to the state Office of Cannabis Management, 1,817 hopefuls for 280 various preapproval licenses qualified for the early advantage state law gives social equity applicants. … To process all 1,817 applicants, it would take OCM 12-to-16 weeks. ‘If this timeline holds,’ Moss [said], ‘we could be looking at late November before the first review is done. … I am hopeful the lottery happens in 2024.’ … How was Moss’ math? ‘I wanted to give her a hug because I think she was pretty grounded in the reality of the task,’ OCM’s interim director Charlene Briner said Monday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40mte1S
MORE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The city of Minneapolis is finalizing cannabis zoning regulations, as the state moves toward opening its first non-tribal dispensaries next year. The council is expected to vote on a set of rules Thursday, which will help clarify where and how dispensaries and other weed businesses can set up shop. … Under the proposed regulations, there will be a 300-foot buffer between dispensaries and K-12 schools. That is the same buffer mandated for liquor stores. It is also the same distance St. Paul adopted earlier this year. For reference, a Minneapolis city block is anywhere from 330 to 660 feet long.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3C5eIl2
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The fledgling Minneapolis ‘safety-beyond-policing’ department, which has been accused of mismanaging contracts with violence interrupters, is again under scrutiny for requesting nearly $1 million for a business owned by the sister of one of its staff members. Unanswered questions about the Black Business Enterprises Fund and the purpose of the contract have repeatedly delayed a City Council vote on the contract. … City Council members have also been pushing for greater accountability in the Neighborhood Safety Department, particularly after a whistleblower…questioned the relationships between contract recipients and department staff.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e1RPwh
MPD: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “After the arrest of a Minneapolis man accused of harassing his neighbor for over a year before shooting him, Police Chief Brian O’Hara has announced a full post-incident review of the incident and what led to it after receiving backlash for MPD's lack of action before the suspect's arrest. … Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey supports MPD's actions and calls for a post-incident review, saying ‘our city is committed to always doing better.’ … But Senator Omar Fateh (D-Minneapolis) says that the investigation into the police response [must] be carried out by an independent body, and claimed that race played a role in MPD's response.” FATEH: “This failure to protect a Black resident from being shot as the result of months of escalation…is a sobering reminder of the racial inequities that persist in our policing system.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3AgPZtA
HENN CTY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County has fast-tracked the creation of a youth behavioral health crisis stabilization center in Minneapolis as pressure mounts to help kids with complex mental health needs who are stuck in emergency rooms and detention centers. County commissioners unanimously signed off Tuesday on a $15 million plan to open the center, as well as an up to $7 million annual agreement for provider Nexus Family Healing to operate the 10- to 15-bed crisis residential program for kids.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fqAApA
BRINGING SAFETY TO ‘THE NEXT LEVEL’: As part of Enbridge’s work on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation in northern Minnesota, Enbridge has brought in family-owned and Indigenous-owned Northern Lights Family Outfitters to fully outfit project workers right on the job site with personal protective equipment (PPE) from its 48-foot mobile trailer. “Enbridge really brings safety to the next level,” says Patti, a project liaison for Enbridge and the Fond du Lac Band. “It’s really helpful to have a mobile unit, especially for this kind of work.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OQYmjn (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
POLL WORKERS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The integrity of the election remains a top concern for officials across the state with just days to go before ballots are counted. But multiple incidents have already sparked outrage, planted seeds of doubt and opened the door to misinformation and conspiracy theories. … 5 INVESTIGATES reached out to 20 election officials across the state. Five of the biggest counties say poll workers have expressed concerns about their own safety or that of their family. … Multiple counties, including Hennepin, say they are now training workers on de-escalation techniques to prepare for encounters that may occur on Election Day.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3UpWWze
JUDGES: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “For most [judicial] contests, there isn't really a contest at all. Only nine of the 103 nonpartisan races for District Court, Court of Appeals and Supreme Court are two-person races; most of the incumbent judges do not face a challenger. … Herbert Kritzer, an emeritus law professor at the University of Minnesota who's focused his research on judicial selection, said part of the reason there are few challenges is that a sitting judge is actually listed as an incumbent on the ballot for these races, which doesn't happen for political offices. There is power to incumbency, he explained. That the races are nonpartisan also contributes to the races getting little attention or real competition.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40vq4c2
SCHOOL BOARDS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “For a handful of school board candidates across the state, the final weeks of campaigning have included an effort to lose support — or at least distance themselves ― from an organization known for backing conservative candidates. … At least four candidates have stated publicly that they had not connected with or sought support from the Minnesota Parents Alliance before seeing their name appear on the group’s online voters guide. Some candidates said they were not aware of such an endorsement until voters reached out to them with questions about it. … Minnesota Parents Alliance, [leaders] said, does not coordinate its voter guide recommendations with candidates or require them to pledge their allegiance to the organization.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e5y330
PERMITTING REFORM FOR RESPONSIBLE INDUSTRIES: Jobs for Minnesotans is committed to advancing responsible industrial projects through a predictable, timely and transparent permitting process. Broad permitting reform for all responsible industries is essential to strengthening Minnesota’s communities and advancing our state’s clean energy future. (SPONSORED: Jobs for Minnesotans)
FELON VOTES: via Office of the Sec. of State, VERBATIM: “One week before the November 5 Election, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon reminded Minnesotans about the restoration of voting rights for those who have left prison behind. This is the first statewide general election since the passage of the Restore the Vote Act in 2023, which restored voting rights for at least 55,000 Minnesotans. Secretary Simon was joined by Brian Fullman, who was a member of the Restore the Vote Coalition and runs the Barbershops & Black Congregation Cooperative of ISAIAH.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YoE98E
THERAPY: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “If Minneapolis therapist Emily Abeln could wave a magic wand, the political rhetoric flooding the airwaves this election season would likely look a lot different. … For many in America, this year’s election rhetoric has felt dehumanizing as parts of their identity are being discussed, often negatively, as political talking points. … ‘We have people who have to justify their own existence. [We’re] creating an environment for mental health problems and mental illness to form and be sustained,’ said Shonda Craft. … Abeln and Craft are among the many providers with clients in Minnesota and across the U.S. who have had their identities – race, gender, or immigration status – invoked in various ways during the election. How they are impacted, however, can vary greatly.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3AjWcoq
POSTCARDS: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Richelle Norton, owner of the recently opened North Star Arts Club in south Minneapolis, has found ways to build community and positivity through a postcard project at the studio. A former student of Tim and Gwen Walz at Mankato West High School, Norton has been [politically] active, helping organize a group of former students to speak out on Walz's behalf. … Norton has hosted more than 15 postcard sessions in the lead-up to the election. Each one has Norton, a former middle school art teacher, leading groups as they use gouache to paint postcards that are later mailed to voters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NJp1xK
ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT: From Grand Rapids, a conversation about opportunities and challenges to economic growth in Greater Minnesota with Tuleah Palmer, CEO of the Blandin Foundation, Roy Smith of the IRRRB and Steve Loney from Kiesler Wellness Center. From workforce to energy costs, a thoughtful conversation on how leaders are working together to push the region’s economy forward. Mainstreet Minnesota is presented by Compeer Financial. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/MainstreetMN2
ST CLOUD: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “First there were 16 candidates, the most in 50 years to enter the City Council primary. Now, six remain for the general election on Nov. 5. … [There’ll be] at least three — and possibly four — new faces on the seven-member body, including a chance for representation by someone of East African descent for the first time. The council has long been older, whiter and more male than the city’s demographics. Almost one-third of approximately 70,000 residents now are people of color. … Representation is almost certain to shift. Jeff Goerger, who has served on the council for 18 of the past 22 years and is its current president, announced last spring he would not run for re-election.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hoYqn8
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Nearly $190,000 has been raised by Rochester City Council candidates on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. The city has three ward races and one citywide race on the ballot, and candidates have reported spending nearly $160,000 leading up to the last 10 days of their campaign. … Two-thirds of the campaign spending was in the citywide race for the council president seat, where Ward 5 council member Shaun Palmer is running against Rochester Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Randy Schubring for the head seat on the council. Palmer’s campaign reports raising $74,000 and spending $61,000. … Schubring’s campaign reports raising $49,000 and spending $43,000 throughout the campaign.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NHFhiV
DETROIT LAKES: via Detroit Lakes Tribune, VERBATIM: “Four of the six seats on the Detroit Lakes School Board are up for grabs in this year's general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Normally, elections for the board are evenly split, with three positions up for election every two years. But the resignation of board member April Thomas, which becomes effective on Dec. 31, has made a special election necessary to fill the remaining two years of her term. Two people will be running for that two-year seat on the board — Jon Freeman and Sandy Nelson — with the remaining nine candidates vying for the three other positions, which will each be for 4-year terms. Both of the special election candidates are experienced educators, though neither has served in a publicly elected capacity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YG6KYy
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Flint Hills Resources makes fuels and other products people need and use every day — products that help keep Minnesota moving. The company does this while prioritizing safety and environmental stewardship and contributing meaningfully to the community. That’s Stewardship with a Purpose. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ALNT4U (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
MALE VOTERS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Both major political parties believe they best represent the interests of Black and Latino men and are asking for their votes. MPR News spoke with five Minnesota men and asked them to tell us what issues and policies are motivating them to vote this year. Teto Wilson 51, is a business owner in north Minneapolis, Dudley Edmondson, 63, is a freelance media artist in Duluth, Jeremiah Fuller, 36, works at a St. Paul nonprofit, Edgar Hernandez, 44, is a pastor in Hopkins and Robbie Lopez-Mendez, 22, is a St. Paul resident and works at an immigration law firm.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3AhKWJg
MAYO: via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “Just over a month ago, the Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont announced that it would be cutting in-patient services for labor and delivery and surgery. The decision sparked outrage throughout the community. ‘What I’ve seen is the diversion of our patients to Mankato,’ said Marilyn Green. ‘Our own obstetrician is going up to Mankato and covering the call there, so we have no coverage there, so our patients are being forced to go there.’ Monday night, MCHS hosted a public meeting with the citizens of Fairmont to hear concerns about their new transition.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fqacw2
GWEN: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Gwen Walz had been at her husband’s side during his first foray into politics. … The couple’s political partnership continued after [Tim] Walz was elected the state’s governor and is likely to play out if he is elected vice president. While Usha Vance, the wife of Trump running mate Sen. JD Vance, is hardly seen on the campaign trail, Gwen Walz is supporting her husband’s bid for higher office full stop. She has made dozens of campaign appearances from coast-to-coast and repeated visits to swing states. … Yet her campaign style differs vastly from her husband’s. Tim Walz is given to fiery speeches and colorful language. … Meanwhile, Gwen is cool headed and campaigns with the discipline of a seasoned teacher. … John Klaber first met the couple in 1996 [and] said that Kamala Harris, in picking Walz as her running mate, has ‘gotten a two-fer.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hr9ZdO
MORE TAKES: Every day, we’re sharing significant political, business and other news in additional newsletters. If you love morning take, sign up for the other Fluence tip sheets HERE: fluence-newsletters.com
TODAY: Via the Harris-Walz Campaign, Gov. Tim Walz will visit North Carolina to campaign in Charlotte, Greensboro and Asheville.
TOMORROW: Gov. Tim Walz will reportedly hold campaign events in Harrisburg, PA and Erie, PA.
FRIDAY: Via the Harris-Walz Campaign, Gov. Tim Walz will visit Michigan to campaign in Detroit, Flint and Traverse City.
SATURDAY: via Conservation MN, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, along with other partners of the Minnesotans For Our Great Outdoors coalition, will host hunting activities to highlight the important work of lottery proceeds and encourage hunters and anglers to vote Yes on the renewal [ballot question].” The event is at 10:00 a.m. in Farmington, MN.
BDAYS: pen guy Barry Rubin, blogger Sally Jo Sorenson, Star Tribune’s Michael Rand, attorney Sarah Duniway, retired Strib guy Scott Gillespie, financial planner Kip Christianson
SHARE: Signing up for Fluence tip sheets is easy. Please share with your friends, colleagues and family. HERE: http://bit.ly/2019FluenceTipSheets
TIPS: How do we get the best news and most buzzed about stories? Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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