Gopher Men’s basketball wins.
Flowers in the Vikings locker room? FOX9: https://fluence-media.co/3AlAuRd
Sign-up for Sports Take a weekly preview of the week ahead published on Thursdays. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/SportsTakeSignUp
The Guardian analyzed how U.S. counties changed their votes from 2020 to 2024. Notably, the “red shift” was nationwide and fairly consistent across demographics and geography. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/3UI1GjT
Axios Twin Cities reports Donald Trump performed better in almost every Minnesota county compared to 2020 and he flipped four counties red. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3YBZTy2
I look forward to seeing many readers today at the AgriGrowth Summit.
With Linda McMahaon a co-chair of the Trump transition team, a watch of Mr. McMahon on Netflix is a curious watch. It’s both disturbing and fascinating.
The Fresh15 podcast is coming back next week to interview new legislators.
Blois
Tips/Feedback: bloisolson@gmail.com
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From yesterday’s lunch take: Here is a printable current scorecard of all state and federal races in Minnesota. READ: https://fluence-media.co/48GYhb2
2026: via X this morning, Royce White announces he’s running against Sen. Tina Smith in 2026. TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/3Crfdpz
MEMO: via a MN Chamber memo obtained by morning take, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Chamber’s political programs succeeded in ending the single party control or “trifecta” in state government by protecting pro jobs, pro-business incumbents and electing three new legislators who share our priority of improving Minnesota’s economy. The voters clearly said they want balance in Minnesota government, bipartisan cooperation, and reasonable solutions… Pro Jobs Majority decided to recalibrate and overhaul its political approach starting in November of 2022. We adhered to a strategic, disciplined and data intensive plan focused on a targeted universe of voters with tested messages… Pro Jobs Majority spent a record $2 million this cycle. We won in ten of the races we engaged in and lost four. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3NVctn9
TIE: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “The big details, like which party will hold the speaker's gavel and how to divvy up committee seats, are still TBD. House GOP leader Lisa Demuth and Democratic Speaker Melissa Hortman both said it's too soon to speculate on how those could shake out. … [Demuth] called the outcome a ‘perfect opportunity’ to restore civility at the Capitol by working across the aisle. Hortman echoed that tone, saying she's confident they can co-govern effectively. … Demuth and Hortman say they plan to start negotiations after their respective caucus leadership meetings this week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Amkkae
MORE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “[With] a 67-67 tie in the Minnesota House of Representatives, DFL and GOP leaders said Wednesday they are looking now at ways to share power. The Minnesota Constitution forbids the House from having two House speakers at the same time, so it’s possible Republicans and DFLers may divide up which party takes the speakership and which holds lead positions on key committees. … While circumstances in the House could force the two parties to work together, some relations may be more difficult to repair following the tumultuous close to the last legislative session when Democrats, who had full Capitol control, rolled a slate of spending-related bills into one package and moved to pass it within minutes and with little debate.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YTgq1H
RESPONSE: via a Sen. Grant Hauschild (D-3) statement, HAUSCHILD: “Now that the voters have spoken, it is clear to me that Northern Minnesotans want representatives who focus on delivering for our communities and stay out of the nonsense that distract far too many politicians from the real bread-and-butter issues that matter in people’s lives. With the opportunity to continue serving in the Senate Majority and with a tied State House, I look forward to leveraging bipartisan solutions to advance what is best for the Northland over the next two years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CieE1z
TAKE: Looking ahead to 2026, the jeopardy Senate DFL one seat majority will be a very much a major theme. DFLers currently hold five seats outside the metro, with Sen. Grant Hauschild and Arik Putnam having the most competitive districts. History would say that the midterm of President Trump would be good for DFLers, however the Republican dominance in greater Minnesota is likely to make these seats highly targeted. In addition, Sen. Judy Seeberger who only won in 2022 by .75 percent will be a top GOP target.
EXPECT: The House GOP and DFL to begin trading offers for co-governing in the coming days.
RESULTS: via Office of the Sec. of State, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s unofficial election results for the November 5 General Election are complete and available online. … Early estimates would indicate a turnout of around 76% for the 2024 Election. This figure is unofficial until canvassing boards meet to certify results. This exceeds the 2016 turnout of 74.72% but falls short of the record-making voter turnout of 79.96% in 2020. … Nearly all of Minnesota’s election results were published online by 6 a.m. on November 6. … It was expected that counties would report results later than they have in years past due to a 2023 law change which extended the deadline for receiving absentee ballots by five hours from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Several counties reported a high volume of absentee ballots arriving on Election Day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48GOscP
MORE: Secretary of State Steve Simon spoke to MinnPost about his thoughts on the administration of the 2024 election in Minnesota. SIMON: “Even though [turnout] is down from 2020, it’s still really high. … Was [it] good enough to be best in the nation? I don’t know yet, and we won’t know for some time about where we stack up with the other states, but that’s really solid. That is high turnout: 76%.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NXvLbm
RECOUNTS: The Secretary of State also confirmed that two Minnesota House races qualify for a publicly funded recount: 14B, with a difference of 0.14%; and 54A, with a difference of 0.06%. Via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “The 134-seat Minnesota House of Representatives appears as though it will be evenly split for the 2025-26 biennium…[but] election results are not official until they have been certified by the state canvassing board. That is scheduled to occur Nov. 21. … Republicans gained seats on the Iron Range, the St. Peter area, and Winona. An evenly-divided House would be nearly unprecedented in the state’s history, occurring just once previously.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48D7u3S
MORE: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Recounts must happen in [14B and 54A], as both are within the statutory one-half of 1% margin, but the DFL leadership is confident those results will hold. … Still, the response from caucus leaders reflected the political difference between catching up and being caught. Republicans were elated to have gained at least a tie, a result that ends the DFL trifecta after two years. DFLers were less so, needing now to plan for a power-sharing arrangement that will see committee power and staffing numbers split down the middle. All this comes after the DFL and its affiliates outspent the GOP at least four to one. … The DFL lost all seven of the GOP-held seats it had targeted for pickups while also failing to defend the three seats the GOP flipped. Republicans likely benefited from the top of the ticket more than DFLers did.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UFIbIW
HEALTHCARE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Donald Trump’s second presidency may significantly alter health care and public health in Minnesota, especially if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets the opportunity to bring his vaccine skepticism to federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trump’s pledge to let Kennedy ‘go wild’ on those agencies drew concerns from former Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm, especially as declining vaccinations caused Minnesota to have the second-most measles cases among U.S. states this year.” MALCOLM: “We’ve got to rebuild trust in science and public health, and things that really are meant to protect all of us, and not just some of us. … We can disagree until the moon turns blue about what to do about the facts, but if we don’t even agree there are facts, I don’t know how you solve anything.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48Aze9v
WALZ: Gov. Tim Walz reportedly returned to St. Paul last night to continue his work as Minnesota governor. Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Walz won’t become vice president, [so] he now returns to St. Paul to fill out the final two years of his second term and to decide whether to seek a third. … Because Walz is not moving on up, neither will his lieutenant governor. [Peggy] Flanagan was poised to be the state’s first female governor and the first female Native American to govern any state. That won’t happen — at least not yet.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UFIbIW
MORE: Speaking to MinnPost, Tim Lindberg, political science professor at University of Minnesota Morris, said that despite the reservations expressed by some Democrats over the past day, he does not think Gov. Tim Walz hurt or helped Vice Pres. Kamala Harris’ campaign in any significant way. LINDBERG: “I think there are a lot of other factors that come into play before you get into the question of [the] vice presidential choice. … The question is, ‘Would the [decline in male votes] have been worse without him?’ The assumption that he didn’t do much with men doesn’t take into account that he could have staunched a greater loss.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3O0eYVf
From yesterday’s Walz Watch:
CONCESSION: Via AP News, Vice Pres. Kamala Harris called President-elect Donald Trump Wednesday morning to personally congratulate him and concede the election. It is unknown at this time if Gov. Tim Walz has made a similar call to Trump, but Walz did attend Harris’ public concession speech in Washington, DC on Wednesday afternoon with his wife and daughter. It was Walz’s first public appearance since his final campaign stop in Harrisburg, PA on Tuesday morning. Walz did not speak at the event, but the crowd cheered when he arrived. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YAAyEM
MORE: Via FOX 9, Vice Pres. Kamala Harris personally thanked Gov. Tim Walz during her concession speech. HARRIS: “To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know your service to our nation will continue.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fy6eRW
SHIFT: Via the Office of the Sec. of State, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz won Minnesota’s 10 electoral votes by 4.2%, compared to 7.1% for Joe Biden in 2020 and 1.5% for Hillary Clinton in 2016. This nearly 3-point shift to the right in Minnesota is consistent with the rest of the U.S., which saw similar movement toward Republicans in almost every state. However, neighboring Wisconsin had a smaller “red shift” than the nation at large, as did several other battleground states. In a message thanking supporters, Harris campaign manager David Plouffe described this phenomenon of keeping the battlegrounds competitive by saying the Democrats “dug out of a deep hole, but not enough.” RESULTS: https://fluence-media.co/3UEDNK2 PLOUFFE: https://fluence-media.co/3CfTSPX
NEXT: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Vice presidential candidates on losing teams often continue in the roles that got them noticed, said Barbara Norrander, an emeritus professor at University of Arizona’s School of Government and Public Policy.” QUOTE: “What comes next depends on what the candidate wants, whether they really hunger for the presidency. There’s no rule for this. There are options, but it depends on a lot of things including whether there is a clearer inheritor of the party nomination and if the person in question actually even wants to be president.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YSGJFw
‘MY WHOLE LIFE CHANGED’ — EMPOWERMENT TRAINING OPENS PATHWAY INTO THE TRADES: Since 2019, a partnership between Five Skies Empowerment Training and Enbridge has broadened as unions, contractors and other groups look to connect Native American job seekers to meaningful careers. “They’re gonna open the door for you,” says Joel, a program graduate. “Before the 5 Skies program, I wasn’t aware there were so many opportunities,” explains Ashley. “My whole life changed,” says Melissa. Click here to submit an application, and find out more on upcoming training. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3XoPg0D (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
LABOR: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “After years of speculation, Minneapolis City Council members have finally laid out their long-awaited Labor Standards Board proposal, which would bring workers and employers together to deliberate new regulations for industries with well-known problems, such as labor trafficking in construction. … At Wednesday’s public health committee meeting, City Clerk Casey Carl, Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai and Council Members Aurin Chowdhury and Katie Cashman presented the structure of the panel for the first time. Facing a phalanx of competing signs for and against the Labor Standards Board, they described the proposed board as being composed of an equal number of business owners, workers and other community stakeholders. … Speaking for business owners on Wednesday, Council Member Michael Rainville predicted the Labor Standards Board would pit small business owners against their employees.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40wH3ej
SCHOOLS: via an Education MN press release, VERBATIM: “Voters across Minnesota overwhelmingly supported on Tuesday candidates for their local school boards who were [union-endorsed]. … A preliminary analysis of election returns showed that candidates endorsed by their local unions of educators won nearly 75% of their races, with 70 wins in 95 races. … Education Minnesota members also worked on 26 referendums to raise local taxes to support various functions of their local schools, including capital projects, buildings, operations and technology. A preliminary analysis shows voters approved just over half of the funding requests put to them, or about the same percentage as in 2023.”
MORE: KSTP has a list of every city that passed a school funding referendum this week, as well as cities where the school funding questions failed. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3AqjNE9
CHILDCARE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Rebecca Noecker, who for years has advocated a city role in helping St. Paul’s poorest families pay for childcare, couldn’t hide her disappointment with her group’s defeat at the polls. But the St. Paul City Council member who’d hoped residents would be willing to use property taxes to aid those families on Wednesday said she’s not ready to throw in the towel. ‘Obviously, it’s really early yet to know what the next steps will be,’ she said after 60% of city voters rejected the proposal to hike the city’s levy by $2 million per year for 10 years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CiuIAe
LGBTQ: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “While some are celebrating President-elect Donald Trump's victory, it's causing concern throughout the transgender community in Minnesota. … Andi Otto, executive director of Twin Cities Pride, [said] it's the fear of uncertainty. … The Trump campaign has spent more than $19 million on two anti-transgender TV ads that have aired 55,000 times since Oct. 1, according to data from AdImpact. ‘I think, for me, the biggest trouble comes from the misinformation that's in them,’ Otto said about the ads. ‘The misinformation just means we have to continue to battle that.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YSi5Vk
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)
MINING: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Friends of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness have issued a warning that Donald Trump's election will likely see the resurrection of plans to open up Superior National Forest to mining once again. A proposal by Twin Metals to mine sulfide-ore copper mine in an area of Superior National Forest between Ely and Babbitt have been a political football over the past decade. … With Trump returning to the White House in January, the Friends of the BWCAW says the forest, which contains more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails, and over 2,000 campsites, could face ‘disaster.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3At3Pco
WATER: via a BWSR press release, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) will receive $21 million in Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funding from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to support the Water Quality and Storage Program. This program establishes storage practices in Minnesota to control runoff rates and volumes to protect infrastructure, improve water quality, and mitigate climate change impacts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fAVa6m
METRO TRANSIT: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Crime aboard Metro Transit buses and trains increased during the summer months into September, but crime has declined overall so far this year and is below 2023 levels. In the third quarter that ended Sept. 30, crime increased 6.7% when compared with the same period last year, according to a presentation at a Metropolitan Council committee meeting Wednesday. The top crime: People smoking on public transit. … The 5,556 crimes reported in the first three quarters of this year is an 8.4% decrease when compared with the 6,066 crimes reported during the same period in 2023.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YFgpgM
ENVELOPE: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A suspicious envelope left at a polling site in Carlton County sparked a police response on election day. Carlton County Sheriff’s Office received a call from election officials around 5:30 p.m. reporting an envelope had been left in one of the polling booths. … The writing on the envelope seemed suspicious, but nothing else was noted that would make it appear to be a hazard to anyone at the polling site. Police also say there were no reports of anyone feeling sick or injured due to contact with the envelope.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YUGgCJ
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
BLOOMINGTON: via a Fair Vote MN press release, VERBATIM: “Bloomington voters rejected a City Charter amendment to repeal the city’s ranked choice voting (RCV) system. This marks the second time in four years that voters decided in favor of using ranked choice voting for municipal elections, this time by a bigger margin than the first in November 2020. With all precincts reporting, the Vote NO campaign and RCV won with a margin of 51.3% to 48.7%. … This victory for RCV in Bloomington follows the repudiation of a similar repeal attempt in Minnetonka last year.”
NISSWA: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “When she first hit the campaign trail, Jennifer Carnahan didn’t think she had a shot at winning. But the former Minnesota GOP chair won the Nisswa mayoral race Tuesday night, unseating incumbent John Ryan, who was seeking a third term as mayor. He served on the Nisswa City Council for eight years and ran uncontested in 2022. That’s the year Carnahan moved to Nisswa after years of legal troubles and the death of her husband, U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District. Carnahan earned 54% of the vote to Ryan’s 45%.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YBhFS6
PINE CITY: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Kent Bombard became Pine City's first openly gay mayor to be elected, securing a ‘landslide victory’ with 49.4% of the local vote during Tuesday's election. Bombard was appointed in July following Mayor Carl Pederson's resignation. On Tuesday, he defeated his closest challenger by more than 26%. … He is now the third openly gay mayor in the state’s history, following Richard Carlbom, who served as mayor of St. Joseph from 2005 to 2007, and Aaron Wittnebel, elected mayor of Lake Park in 2012.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UGP9xj
EAGAN: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Building height, tree conservation and mixed-use development were topics of discussion Monday night as the Eagan City Council considered the proposed redevelopment of the former Thomson Reuters site. Local real estate developer Ryan Cos. intends to redevelop 179 acres of the former Thomson Reuters campus…to include light industrial uses and a mix of residential units. Council members were given a clearer picture of the project, which would require a comprehensive guide plan amendment, on Monday night ahead of the Nov. 19 meeting where approvals could take place.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CicUFp
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:
KLOBUCHAR: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) won a fourth term, defeating Republican candidate Royce White on Tuesday. The day after, appearing on the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar, Klobuchar says people now need to focus on unity with Donald Trump returning to the White House.” QUOTE: "Even though this election didn't turn out like I wanted it, and I am concerned about a number of things including who will be cabinet members in a new Trump White House. But I am not going to be dwelling on that today because I'm going to be focused on the fact that we need to bring this country together." READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3UEPQag
PHILLIPS: On WCCO Radio, outgoing DFL Rep. Dean Phillips tells Chad Hartman he is not running for governor in 2026, but he hasn’t ruled out another run for a different office. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4fxa7GI
MANKATO: via National News Desk, VERBATIM: “The 2024 presidential election hit close to home for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate lost his home county to President-elect Donald Trump, a crushing blow in an already lackluster night for Democrats. Trump received 49.6% of the reported vote in Blue Earth County, where Walz's family lived [in Mankato] for 20 years, while Harris earned 48.3%. … Blue Earth County was Walz's launching pad for his 12 years in Congress, representing Minnesota's 1st Congressional District.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NYZRLI
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 an AgriGrowth advisory, VERBATIM: “Newly inaugurated University of Minnesota President Dr. Rebecca Cunningham will be a featured speaker at the 2024 Minnesota Ag & Food Summit. … Cunningham will share her perspective on reinforcing Minnesota’s role as a global leader in agriculture and food manufacturing and how the University of Minnesota can be a vital partner. … Cunningham will join Dr. Michael Swanson, the chief agricultural economist of the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, as the first two featured speakers at this year’s summit.” The event runs from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Minneapolis.
TODAY: via news advisory from Mayor Jacob Frey VERBATIM: “Today Mayor Jacob Frey, joined by Council Members, City leaders, Rep. Frank Hornstein, and local environmental activists, will sign a resolution urging the permanent closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) incinerator, one of the largest sources of air pollution in Minneapolis.
TUESDAY: On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Citizens League is hosting a “Mind Opener” discussion panel on geographic disparities in Minnesota’s healthcare system. DFL Sen. Grant Hauschild and GOP Sen. Jordan Rasmusson will be two of the panelists. The event is at 12:00 noon.
BDAYS: radio legend Tom Barnard, GOP operative Ben Golnik
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