CLOUDY MORNING
Lynx win. Twins win.
Field of Dreams Game tonight for the Twins in Diresville, Iowa. On the radio at WCCO, or on Netflix.
Naz Reid, Kayla McBride, Kyler Murray, Paige Bueckers, Koi Perich and Goldy Gopher are among those who’ll show up in Sports Take, which will be out this afternoon.
The St. Paul and Minneapolis Chamber’s will vote next week on the anticipated merger.
U of M researchers find that 48% of Minnesotans think vanilla ice cream “deserves more respect than it gets,” and that sentiment climbs to 60% for Generation Z. SURVEY: https://fluence-media.co/4fUlZWr
A child and three adults died in a suspected murder-suicide in Burnsville and Hopkins. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/4wpfCiM
Minnesota is the first state to ever feature 4 women in its governor and Senate races. WAPO: https://fluence-media.co/45Y1UZm
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is leaving her job at the end of the month. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4fU4llA
Today’s morning take on WCCO Radio with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/45YLBeQ
It’s National Filet Mignon Day….it’s also National Prosecco 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
Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com ? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription
HEALTHCARE: Strong communities depend on sustainable nonprofit healthcare. By planning to join leading, nonprofit healthcare system Sutter Health, Allina Health will be better positioned to expand access to high-quality, innovative care in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin - supporting patients, caregivers, and communities for generations to come. Learn more about the Allina-Sutter partnership.. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/AllinaHealth (SPONSORED: Allina Health)
The DFL energy since Metro Surge is undeniable, it was fueled by a jump start on organizing in communities to track and monitor ICE activities. Legislators, many serving as local leaders built new and deeper relationships with constituents. The constituents have served as a ready-made force for door knocking and organizing. That supercharges the DFL’s already stronger grassroots advantage over Minnesota Republicans.
That said, Republicans have energy as well, and it got a boost yesterday when they nominated the most electable slate at the top of the ticket they’ve had in years. Younger conservatives that were disheartened by Scott Jensen, and revolted by Royce White feel like they have candidates they can energetically support and advocate for.
With 82 days to election day, there will be multiple twists and turns between candidates, outside groups and the mood of the public. There are likely over 1.5 million Minnesotans that didn’t vote Tuesday, and the narrow margins in the 2022 Attorney General and Auditors races suggest that DFLers can’t assume energy will sustain in all races, while Republicans have to learn how to win statewide again in Minnesota.
The theme of 2026…pace yourself.
CD2: From the latest MNSider for premium subscribers, August heat and haze hung over Minnesota Tuesday, the race in CD2 is becoming more clear. Two suburbanite white guys running, when women are leading the top of the ticket. That takes away a gender dynamic that helped Rep. Angie Craig. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ufae4i
SD5: With 100% of the votes now counted, the GOP primary in Senate District 5 had a surprise upset — party-endorsed challenger Rep. Mike Wiener successfully ousted Sen. Paul Utke by less than 200 votes, 50.84% to 49.16%. Sec. Steve Simon’s office told the Minnesota Reformer that Utke was erroneously listed as the winner of his primary late Tuesday night due to “a data entry error by the county” that was “quickly corrected.” Because the margin of victory is greater than 0.5%, the race is not eligible for a publicly funded recount, but the results are still considered “unofficial” until certification. DETAILS: RESULTS | REFORMER | RECOUNTS
ESSENTIA HEALTH SUPPORTS FREE CLINIC IN VIRGINIA, SERVING INCREASED NUMBER OF UNINSURED MINNESOTANS: Every Thursday night, physicians and care team members from Essentia Health-Virginia volunteer at the Project Care Free Clinic, providing treatment, screenings, and preventive care to patients who are uninsured or may be struggling to afford health care premiums. Essentia also provides lab and X-ray services at no cost to the clinic or its patients. Essentia is proud to support the clinic, ensuring everyone in the community can get the care they need. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4yt7Qqu (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
TURNOUT: Sec. Steve Simon announced that Minnesota set a new record for primary turnout this year, with over 1.1 million votes cast in Tuesday’s election — about 25% of all eligible voters. The previous record was over 925,000 votes in the 2018 primary, making this the first time a Minnesota primary crossed the 1 million mark in any election year. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i5Kmlk
On July 15th, from morning take, “FORECAST: It’s important to note the 2024 primary didn’t have compelling races, and considering three competitive statewide primaries this year, our forecast total primary turnout will be over 1,000,000 voters for the first time in Minnesota history.”
MORE: Despite both parties having competitive primaries, DFL voters outnumbered GOP voters by nearly 300,000 — the DFL saw 677,933 votes for governor and 695,666 votes for senator, while the GOP saw 409,560 votes for governor and 386,140 votes for senator. Axios noted that this may be a sign of higher enthusiasm in the wake of Operation Metro Surge. DETAILS: DATA | AXIOS
DOORS: DFL Chair Richard Carlbom shared on social media that DFLers knocked on about 1 million doors from Jan. 1 to Aug. 11, which he said is “250,000 doors ahead of 2024.” Carlbom also noted that “100% of our endorsed candidates won.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4i6Hu7G
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)
CAPITOL: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “A working group tasked with making recommendations for a proposed new state park within the Capitol Area met for the first time Wednesday. The park would be named for the late Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. … The group plans to meet every three weeks on Wednesdays with possible future meeting topics focused on sustainable funding, public safety, [and more]. … The working group’s statutory directive is to make recommendations that include funding for establishing and maintaining the park, with a report of its recommendations due to the Legislature by Feb. 1, 2027.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4x0HHOy
RESULTS
BYCOUNTY: Maps from the Duluth News Tribune the governor and Senate primaries that show how each county in Minnesota voted. Republican Michele Tafoya and Sen. Amy Klobuchar won the vast majority of counties in their respective races, but Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Speaker Lisa Demuth saw more localized appeal in their contests. Flanagan’s voters were primarily based in the Twin Cities metro, the north and the south. Demuth’s appeal mainly came from the metro and central Minnesota. READ/MAPS: https://fluence-media.co/4ws6n1n
ADS…
TV ADS: via Politico, VERBATIM: “A key trend has emerged across gubernatorial primaries this year: TV ads still matter. Former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell lost the Republican gubernatorial primary Tuesday in Minnesota, despite being endorsed by President Donald Trump, after his campaign spent nothing on TV or digital ads. … Speaker Lisa Demuth, who won the GOP primary, spent $467,000 on TV and radio ads and benefited from another $2 million in outside spending across TV, radio and digital. … Leading your opponents on the airwaves has proven to be a fruitful tactic for other gubernatorial candidates this cycle.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45ojjKA
TAKE: Lindell’s campaign was horribly run and it shouldn’t be lost that he had resources, the President’s endorsement and couldn’t capitalize. Lindell’s lack of mainstream following, penchant for drama and lack of credibility were a motivator for Republicans to vote for Demuth.
NEW AD: The Alliance for a Better Minnesota PAC has launched a “seven-figured TV and digital ad buy” targeting Ron Schutz, the GOP attorney general nominee. The ad highlights Schutz’s support for the Trump Administration’s healthcare policies and how Schutz “represented a health insurer that was later accused of stealing $9 billion from Medicare.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4xIQncp
DISSECT: There’s a need to dig in on ads to see if they narrative matches facts. The
formula narrative that left-aligned groups have used for years deserves a deeper analysis and scrutiny to ensure the subject of the ad is an actual subject of the facts.
TECH ISSUES: via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota campaign finance regulators are inclined to give a break to some campaigns that missed a report filing deadline. A discussion item for an upcoming meeting shows that Minnesota Campaign Finance Board staff acknowledge there were issues with the board’s system that caused some campaigns to file pre-primary reports later than the July 27 deadline. … A blanket waiver of penalties is under consideration. … The memo says 159 reports came in a day late and 29 more arrived by the end of the week. The waiver would cover those that filed reports by July 31.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wnzgeY
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)
MPLS
BUDGET: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis may soon endure its largest property tax levy hike in recent memory — 11.3% — but still would have to cut jobs under a budget proposal Mayor Jacob Frey rolled out. … Years of generous salary increases and mounting inflationary pressures are beginning to overtake City Hall. Now, the mayor’s proposal will tee off the most painful budget fight in years, with some City Council members likely to go to bat for pet programs and other members likely to push just as hard for deeper cuts and a smaller levy hike. … Frey’s proposal for next year builds in an additional $13.1 million, up front, for MPD overtime costs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xwuFYS
MORE: via City of Minneapolis, VERBATIM: “The Mayor’s proposed $2.3 billion budget includes $753 million of General Fund expenditures and an 11.3% property tax levy increase. For the median-value homeowner, this would result in about $409 more per year, or roughly $34 per month. The proposed levy is an effort to address a more than $60 million budget gap while reducing spending by more than $20 million. … The proposed budget reduces spending through program and contract reductions, the elimination of around 100 full-time positions, the consolidation of City operations, and other efficiencies.” BUDGET: https://fluence-media.co/4ge0z5D
NOTE: St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her will present her own budget proposal today at 11 a.m.
HOUSING: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council at its Thursday meeting will consider a voluntary relocation plan for some residents of the embattled Heritage Park housing complex. Eighty-three of the current 211 households would be eligible for stipends to escape unhealthy living conditions. … The city is still evaluating whether the buildings are salvageable, but wanted to move quickly to relocate residents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wugqml
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
FLOCK CAMS: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “The Winona Police Department announced it will not replace eight Flock cameras that were stolen in late July. Despite calling the cameras an effective law enforcement tool, Winona PD [said] their use had ‘contributed to growing concerns about trust in policing.’ … Winona police stated that any future adoption of advanced law enforcement technology will require ‘meaningful dialogue’ with community members beforehand to maintain public trust.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wqJcnY
FIREARMS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “More and more [switches] that transform guns into fully automatic weapons are purchased and shipped in from overseas. Federal agents tracking this trend also say these ‘machinegun conversion devices’ are becoming more sophisticated and sturdier. … They’re no bigger than a quarter and can allow a gun to fire as many as 15 rounds in two seconds. Possessing one is considered a federal crime. … So far this year, the Minneapolis Police Department has confiscated at least 26 — last year, the department seized 32 switches, 50 the year before that, and 47 in 2023.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4g4d7Mz
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: St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her will deliver her 2027 budget address at 11:00 a.m.
TODAY: The Committee to Protect Healthcare is hosting a Zoom event with Minnesota medical professionals to discuss their concerns with Speaker Lisa Demuth’s record and health policies. The event is at 12:00 noon.
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 19: DFL Senate candidates Mark Legvold and Kristy Janigo will host a roundtable with local veterans on Wednesday, Aug. 19 to discuss the issues they’re facing. The event is in Richfield at 2:00 p.m.
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.
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BDAYS: Burnsville City Mgr. Gregg Lindberg, Essentia’s Carly Melin
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.