ONE WEEK TO GMGT
One week until the State Fair.
Twins sweep Atlanta. Lynx win.
A slow week for games but no shortage of sports conversation starters. This week’s Sports Take has the struggles of J.J. McCarthy and Byron Buxton, some snarky Vikings bashing, an eyebrow-raising reference to the Pohlads, two weddings and an injury. Publishing this afternoon.
The scheduled vote today in St. Paul and Minneapolis to merge the chambers of commerce has been postponed.
U.S. News ranked Nova Classical Academy in St. Paul as the best high school in Minnesota. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/45DgDJ6
The All-In podcast has the Flock CEO this week, an insightful listen. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/4ghIvav
The NRSC sent a memo to AI companies asking them to “fix the toxic brand” of data centers so Republicans don’t lose elections. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4xImDMK
The share of Americans who say they drink alcohol remains at a record-low 54% for the second consecutive year, the lowest reading in Gallup’s trend dating back to 1939. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4wIq44V
Business electricity use is expected to outpace household electricity use for the first time on record due to data centers, but grid expansions aren’t keeping up with demand. QUARTZ: https://fluence-media.co/4xOat4X
Today’s visits include the Mpls. Regional Chamber Board and the State Fair preview party, see you there.
My take on the Lindell recount this morning on WCCO Radio with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3UKfoWb
Happy National Bacon Lovers, Hazy IPA and Radio Day.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
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A trip to Mankato yesterday for the opening of the new Chick fil A, an Advisory client piqued the curiosity of the city’s momentum. If you visit you can’t miss that the city has grown and continues to attract jobs and investment. The impact of Minnesota State – Mankato’s growth is only one piece of it, but the hub of jobs across ag, manufacturing and health care drives the economy. A new hotel downtown will add to its edge in competing for events.
A competitive Mayor’s race is worth watching this fall as well.
The local business community is energized to support and amplify the momentum of the regional center. Greater Mankato Growth EVP and friend of the take Andy Wilke pointed out some measurables that Mankato can point to:
Blue Earth County is the youngest county in the state of Minnesota with a median age of 31.6.
The Mankato-North Mankato MSA population has increased by 7% since 2015.
Mankato MSA ranks 19th in the nation for percentage of population between 18-24 at 18.5%
Mankato is the fastest growing city outside of the metro with over 25,000 residents from 2019 to 2025.
WALZ LEGACY SHAPING
LEGACY: Gov. Tim Walz isn’t waiting for historians — or Minnesota voters — to write the first draft of his legacy. His administration is organizing an effort to help write it themselves.
An internal document from the Office of Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan encourages administration staff to write letters to the editor and op-eds about their work, describing them as an effective way to “secure the legacy of the Walz-Flanagan Administration.”
And this isn’t just a suggestion to write a few letters.
The document amounts to a legacy communications toolkit, providing staff with a writing formula, suggested themes, word-count recommendations and detailed submission information for newspapers across Minnesota — from the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press to the Duluth News Tribune, Rochester Post Bulletin, Mankato Free Press and St. Cloud Times. Not on the list, Forum Communications.
Staff are even instructed to send the administration links or copies of published pieces so it can “track our collective impact.”
That’s a revealing phrase.
BOUNDARY WATERS: Against that backdrop, Walz’s executive order Tuesday restricting copper-nickel mining near the Boundary Waters looks like more than another environmental policy decision. It also fits neatly into the administration’s effort to define what the Walz years will mean after Walz is gone.
The order attempts to put Walz firmly on one side of an argument Minnesota has been having for decades: mining versus protection of one of the state’s most iconic natural resources. It also creates a potential legacy marker that is easy to understand and difficult to overlook.
THE CAMPAIGN: Every outgoing administration works to shape its legacy. Governors give speeches, cut ribbons, release accomplishment lists and sit for exit interviews.
What’s notable here is the organization behind the effort.
The Walz administration isn’t simply compiling accomplishments. It’s encouraging the people who implemented its agenda to become outside validators of it — placing their own voices in local newspapers and community publications around Minnesota. The instructions specifically emphasize that the pieces should be written in someone’s “own voice” and grounded in their “own community.”
That potentially gives an administration message the appearance of something broader: a collection of individual Minnesotans telling readers what the Walz years accomplished.
THE RECORD: There’s a reason defining that narrative matters.
Walz can point to a consequential record: free school meals, paid family and medical leave, abortion protections, climate and energy legislation, infrastructure spending and now an attempt to protect the Boundary Waters from future mining.
But there is another version of the Walz legacy that Republicans will emphasize: billions of dollars in fraud allegations and investigations, the response to the 2020 riots, COVID restrictions, higher state spending and taxes, and a governing agenda critics argue moved Minnesota sharply to the left.
That means the final months of the Walz administration aren’t simply about finishing the work.
They’re increasingly about winning the argument over what the work meant.
TAKE: The Boundary Waters order and the staff letter-writing campaign are different things, but they point in the same direction.
Walz is entering the period every long-serving governor eventually reaches: the transition from governing to being judged.
The administration apparently understands that political legacies don’t simply happen. They’re constructed through policies, speeches, newspaper stories — and, apparently, letters to the editor.
The interesting question isn’t whether Walz wants to protect his legacy. Every governor does.
It’s how aggressively his administration appears prepared to help write it.
WALZ: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz spent much of his nearly eight years in office arguing that Minnesota’s most contentious environmental disputes should not be settled by decree. … [But] Walz’s evolution on the mining issue is a microcosm of how his style of governing, and his view of his office’s powers, has changed. … The rural congressman who arrived at the Capitol preaching ‘One Minnesota’ and political consensus has become one of his party’s more prominent and combative national figures, more confident in wielding executive power and increasingly willing to put Minnesota in direct conflict with his Republican opponents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cunoRe
COMMUNITIES: 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)
POLL
ELECTIONS: Via KSTP, polling for the secretary of state and state auditor races shows that both races are close, but no candidates hold majority support with any listed demographics for now. Results are summarized below. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/4xL4XA0
● SEC STATE: DFL Sec. Steve Simon leads at 41%, with Republican Tad Jude at 34%, other candidates at 4% and 20% undecided. Simon is leading with all listed demographics by varying degrees — notably, he is +1 with voters aged 50-64, but +26 with voters aged 18-34.
● AUDITOR: Republican Scott Jensen and DFLer Zack Filipovich are both tied at 39%, with other candidates at 3% and 19% undecided. Jensen is +8 with men and has a slim lead with all voters 35 and up, while Filipovich is +8 with women and +19 with voters under 35.
APPROVAL: KSTP finds that Minnesotans’ opinions of major political figures and institutions slightly improved from their last poll. Results are summarized below. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/4zk0xSe
WALZ: Gov. Tim Walz has 43% approval, 52% disapproval, and 5% unsure. Of that, 19% “strongly approve” and 38% “strongly disapprove.” This is the first time in 2026 that Walz’s net approval has increased since KSTP’s last poll.
TRUMP: Pres. Donald Trump has 38% approval, 58% disapproval, and 3% unsure. Of that, 17% “strongly approve” and 48% “strongly disapprove.” On his handling of specific issues, Trump has 35% support on the economy and 33% support on the Iran war.
KLOBUCHAR: Sen. Amy Klobuchar has 50% approval, 38% disapproval, and 12% unsure. Klobuchar’s net approval has increased by 5 points since before she won the August primary.
ELLISON: A.G. Keith Ellison has 40% approval, 41% disapproval, and 19% unsure.
MNLEG: The Minnesota Legislature as a whole has 37% approval, 48% disapproval, and 14% unsure.
ISSUES: Via KSTP, Minnesotans indicated that economic concerns are their top issues ahead of the 2026 election — the cost of living for liberals and moderates, and fraud for conservatives. Results are summarized below. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/45WkfWZ
OVERALL: 35% cost of living, 15% fraud, 11% health care, 8% immigration, 6% gas prices, 5% Iran, 5% education, 4% jobs, 3% abortion, 2% crime, 2% guns, 4% other.
LIBERALS: 40% cost of living, 17% health care, 2% fraud, 2% immigration.
MODERATES: 42% cost of living, 14% health care, 11% fraud, 6% immigration.
CONSERVATIVES: 30% fraud, 24% cost of living, 14% immigration, 4% health care.
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/3Ufae4
THE TRAIL
DEMUTH: via AP News, VERBATIM: “Across 250 years, only three elected governors out of thousands have been Black — all Democrats and all men, including current Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. … [But] there are seven Black major party gubernatorial nominees in addition to Moore — men and women, Democrats and Republicans — on November ballots. … Republican Lisa Demuth said she ‘has never led with any type of identity politics’ as Minnesota’s first Black House speaker and now her party’s nominee for governor. ‘But I recognize the historic state we are in right now,’ she said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TXlnH4
KLOBUCHAR: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “In January 2025, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar stood between President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the head table as part of a ceremonial luncheon where congressional leaders welcomed the new president into office. … It could put her on a more-collegial footing with the Trump Administration than Gov. Tim Walz [has] experienced during the closing months of his term. … Klobuchar said while she and Walz share a political party, she would offer a reboot.” QUOTE: “I don’t like the status quo. I want to transform this state. … [I’m] standing up to Donald Trump when necessary and working with their administration when there’s common ground.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4zwM2La
LINDELL: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Election results in Minnesota’s Republican governor primary face a set of challenges from the ticket of Mike Lindell. Lindell said Wednesday he would pay for a ‘hand recount and audit’ of primary ballots, and his running mate has filed a Minnesota Supreme Court petition alleging problems with voting and tabulation systems. … It’s unclear if Lindell will actually force a recount. Secretary of State Steve Simon’s office said while it fielded a preliminary inquiry, it had not yet received an official request for the discretionary recount. … Simon’s office shared a cost estimate: $825,000.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qrW6ko
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)
CD1: via MPR, VERBATIM: “The idea that Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District is on the national map is more than just talk, with big money starting to flow in. In the past few days, a Democratic-aligned group going by Your Community PAC made a six-figure ad reservation to begin in Minnesota in late September. There will be dozens of spots for at least a couple of weeks on major Twin Cities broadcast stations that reach into the southern Minnesota district. Documents on file with the stations show that GOP Rep. Brad Finstad is the focus. … A Republican-aligned firm called Choose Freedom Inc. [is] already running ads in the Rochester market on behalf of Finstad.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g6NWud
MORE: DFL candidate Jake Johnson announced he supports a moratorium on the construction of data centers in the 1st Congressional District “until key protections and guarantees can be made,” per a release. JOHNSON: “This means no new data centers in our communities unless they ensure that our electrical bills don’t go up, that our land and resources are protected, that the economic gains are realized here in southern Minnesota, and that there is an open process with no secrets around these projects.” PLAN: https://fluence-media.co/4ihmXgO
SD24: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Rural investment was a major theme at a Wednesday morning roundtable with Democratic hopefuls for elected office. … [Jake] Johnson and Simon Glaser, the DFL candidate for Minnesota Senate District 24, spoke with a group of 14 others, from farmers and welders to public health nurses, on their topics of concern. … Glaser, if elected to the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Carla Nelson, would represent several rural towns but also a swath of urban Rochester. He said both kinds of communities face similar issues, even if the details are different.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4zLdGEn
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)
STATE GOV
DISASTER AID: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced the authorization of emergency assistance for areas of Becker, Crow Wing, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, and Winona Counties that suffered damage caused by severe storms, flash flooding, and tornadoes in late June and early July. … Funding and public assistance will aid in rebuilding critical public infrastructure damaged by these storms and flooding in these areas. The total assistance will be determined once all damage assessments are complete.”
MIN WAGE: via DLI advisory, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s minimum-wage rate will be adjusted for inflation on Jan. 1, 2027, to $11.87 an hour for all employers in the state. The 90-day training wage for workers under age 20 will increase to $9.68. These rates reflect a 3.99% increase.”
FROM ONE GARAGE TO 1,000 FREE REPAIRS: Flint Hills Resources marked a milestone with its partners at Environmental Initiative this summer as Project CAR (Clean Air Repair) performed its 1,000th vehicle emissions system repair, improving air quality across Minnesota. After starting with just one Twin Cities auto repair shop in 2017, Project CAR has grown into a 14-garage network that’s contributed to eliminating more than 55 tons of ozone-forming emissions and improved the environmental performance of 1,000 of the highest polluting cars on the road. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ymgGbZ (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
PUBLIC SAFETY
STATE FAIR: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “On Wednesday, an agreement was reached between Ramsey County and some alleged members of the ‘Muddy’ and ‘Ville’ gangs in connection with a civil lawsuit seeking to prevent gang members from gathering at the Minnesota State Fair this year. … Six of the 10 listed members agreed not to attend the fair, according to court records. Ramsey County officials say they will dismiss the lawsuit if the alleged gang members comply with their requests.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Sfc2tG
FLOCK CAMS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Minnesota police departments vary in how widely they share automatic license plate reader camera data with outside agencies, raising questions about who can search the data and how it is used. … More than 40 agencies in Minnesota have ‘Flock transparency portals,’ [and] most Minnesota agencies with a ‘transparency portal’ list outside agencies granted access to their cameras. The number of outside agencies with access to local police Flock cameras ranges from zero to hundreds. For example, Faribault police restrict access to the county 911 center, while St. Paul police have granted access to more than 60 Minnesota agencies.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gkODiu
STRAW BUYS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Hundreds of documents were made public Wednesday as part of a settlement with Fleet Farm to resolve a lawsuit alleging the retailer negligently sold firearms to straw purchasers. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison [has] released 694 internal documents, including training materials and a warning from a Fleet Farm employee about Jerome Horton, the man convicted for his connection to the illegal purchase of multiple firearms. … Ellison says no response or action was taken.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RYWH0f
ISSUES
DEEPFAKES: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “A new state law has caught the attention of Elon Musk, and it’s now playing out in federal court. His company xAI is suing the state over its new AI nudificaiton law that bans using AI to create realistic sexual images of people without their consent. … Judge Donovan Frank said he will not have a decision on Monday, but he will let both parties know on that day the timing of his decision. He said this case will get expedited treatment.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4g3GbFm
VACCINES: via Rep. Kelly Morrison advisory, VERBATIM: “Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) joined almost 90 of her colleagues in demanding President [Donald] Trump rescind his dangerous executive order that urges schools to reduce the number of required vaccines for children.” Other lawmakers who signed the letter include Reps. Angie Craig, Betty McCollum and Ilhan Omar plus Sen. Tina Smith. LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/3SnnEL8
WILDFIRES: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Superior National Forest officials reported the Camp Fire is at 97% containment after weeks of firefighting efforts in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Wildfires have burned more than 66,000 acres of land in the BWCAW. Five wildfires are still active Wednesday in northern Minnesota.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/45y94DA
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)
MANUFACTURING: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Enzymes play an important role in a wide range of products used every day, from laundry detergent to paper. Now, a new biomanufacturing facility at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus will expand its enzyme production capabilities and research to address everything from environmental cleanup to future farming.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xc6ort
MOVE: The Public Employees Retirement Assoc. has selected Amy Strenge as its next executive director. Strenge will replace Doug Anderson after a three-month transition period this year.
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
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The debate about Flock Safety automated license plate readers has escalated in St. Paul, with the city council president saying she will author a resolution calling on the city administration and Ramsey County partners to end their contracts. St. Paul police operate two Flock cameras in the city and the remaining 10 in St. Paul are owned by the Ramsey County sheriff’s office. … The city council did not take up the matter at Wednesday’s meeting. [Rebecca] Noecker plans to present the resolution at next Wednesday’s meeting.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45DmzSo
GOLDEN VALLEY: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Animal Humane Society says they will be able to care for 10,000 additional pets annually when their new clinic opens in Golden Valley. AHS broke ground on the new clinic Wednesday. … The new pet clinic is set to open in fall 2027.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4xcKOmE
CHAMBERS: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The St. Paul Area Chamber has put a scheduled vote on a partial merger with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber on hold for now. Board leadership of each chamber was scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to move forward with the creation of a third entity that would represent business interests on both sides of the river. … Proponents called a more regional approach overdue, but critics raised worries that Minneapolis and west metro priorities would overshadow those of St. Paul and the east metro.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xS7MiR
DAYBOOK
TODAY: Kandiyohi Indivisible will host a protest in Appleton to condemn the reopening of the Prairie Correctional Facility by ICE. The event is at 2:00 p.m.
TODAY: Sen. Torrey Westrom and Rep. Paul Anderson, both GOP, will host a roundtable to discuss the reopening of the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton at 2:30 p.m.
AUG 24: Physicians at the U of M Medical Center will hold a press conference on Monday, Aug. 24 at 11:30 a.m. to “demand a fair first contract,” per a release.
AUG 26: The Minnesota Truth Council, established by the Walz Administration to document Operation Metro Surge, will host the first of four public meetings on Wednesday, Aug. 26 in St. Paul at 2:00 p.m.
SEPT 1: St. Cloud Live will host a debate between House District 14B candidates Republican Sue Ek and DFLer Zach Dorholt on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 6:30 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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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.