RESTED + READY
What a weekend, great weather and extra sleep.
Twins lose.
Karl Anthony-Towns and the Knicks are going to the NBA Finals.
Expect Sen. Amy Klobuchar to announce her running mate this week – current Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen is someone to watch. Expect progressives to be noisy if they don’t have a spot on the ticket.
Yesterday was the 6th Anniversary of the killing of George Floyd.
White Bear Lake honored fallen soldier Nicole Amor, her husband spoke to KARE 11. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3PskCUx
USA Today readers ranked A Bar of Their Own in Minneapolis as the nation’s best local sports bar. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4wP9y4p
U.S. forces launched new strikes in Iran yesterday despite officials claiming progress in peace talks. ABC: https://fluence-media.co/4a79WBy
Happy National Paper Airplane Day.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
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Get smarter… Long Term Care – Is Minnesota Ready? Care Providers Minnesota and LeadingAge Minnesota hosted providers, Senator Grant Hauschild (03, DFL), Representative Natalie Zeleznikar (03B, GOP), and Representative Nathan Nelson (11B, GOP) for a conversation about the future of careing for our seniors. This coming week the conversation moves to St. Cloud. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ue3YXA
Sunday Take covered the final days of session and the lack of a 340B bill with Rahul Koranne of the Minnesota Hospital Association. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4wGysn4
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Inside the bubble of delegate politics it’s a big week, after holiday weekend with summer arriving in full force the rest of the state will wind down school, open cabins and get the gardens ready for summer.
The races to watch are mostly on the GOP side this coming weekend, and Gov. Tim Walz won’t even go to the DFL convention in Rochester. They call it a “scheduling issue”.
Meanwhile in Duluth, Speaker Lisa Demuth is the strong favorite for endorsement, and shows the GOP US Senate race will go to the primary. Michele Tafoya, will likely face Adam Schwarze as the endorsed candidate.
The other players in the Duluth GOP convention are sure to bring moments of drama – including Mike Lindell, Royce White and names we don’t know yet. The Easter eggs of the political conventions will drop all week.
The biggest question is “Who will Amy Klobuchar pick to run with her?”. Her team was unusually quiet this weekend when asked the question.
CD2: via news release from the Little for Congress campaign, VERBATIM: “A new poll from Impact Research gives Former State Senator Matt Little a commanding lead in the Democratic Primary for Minnesota’s open second congressional seat. The poll of 400 likely Democratic primary voters, May 18-20, 2026, finds Little with a 28–point lead over both DFL rivals, MN House Rep. Kaela Berg (55B) and MN Senator Matt Klein (SD53), even leading in Klein’s home district by 17 points. Overall, the polls show Little at 41%
support, Berg at 13%, and Klein trailing at 11%, while 35% remain undecided.”
WALZ: via MPR, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz won’t be going to the DFL state party convention in Rochester, at least not in person. Chalk it up to scheduling problems, but Walz explained that he’s trying to give space to candidates who are running as well. ‘It’s time for me to step off the stage,’ he said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vdt8WE
LINDELL: Republican candidate for governor Mike Lindell released an internal poll this weekend that showed him narrowly leading the GOP primary field, with Lindell at 21% and Speaker Lisa Demuth at 19%. However, when respondents were asked how they would vote if Pres. Donald Trump endorsed Lindell, his lead increased to 36% while Demuth dropped to 14%. Trump has not made a formal endorsement yet, but he did say last year that Lindell “deserves to be governor of Minnesota.” POLL: https://fluence-media.co/4e5kwve
QUALLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Brian Nicholson, a business veteran and the running mate of a top Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota, is facing allegations of financial misconduct from one of his former senior employees. … Nicholson was picked by Kendall Qualls, a retired health care executive and nonprofit leader, to be his lieutenant governor. … The lawsuit alleges Nicholson and [others] improperly used company funds to pay for personal items like concert tickets, family cellphone bills, vehicles and vacations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e8k9iH
RESPONSE: Republican candidate for governor Kendall Qualls and his running mate Brian Nicholson recorded a social media video addressing the newly revealed lawsuit against Nicholson, accusing the Star Tribune of writing “a hit piece” to “try and stop our momentum.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RqPJ3q
TAKE: Watch for the State of the Governor’s race, and State of the Senate Race this week for MNSider subscribers. SIGNUP:
GOV RACE: Sabato’s Crystal Ball updated its predictions for six gubernatorial races this week, with Minnesota’s contest moving from “Likely Democratic” to “Safe Democratic.” EXCERPT: “Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) entrance into the open Minnesota race combined with the lack of an obviously top-tier Republican challenger means that state is probably an easier hold than if Gov. Tim Walz (D) had sought a third term, given his greater proximity to a welfare fraud scandal that has made major news in the state.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RlwSH0
SENATE RACE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A February poll of Minnesota Republican primary voters [found] nearly 60% had never heard of [Adam Schwarze]. Yet he’s now a front-runner to win the Republican endorsement. … Schwarze has risen in the field by enmeshing himself with a small group of Republican activists who decide the GOP’s endorsement. … He has won nearly all of the unofficial preference polls held by some local Republican organizations. Other candidates are now scrambling to dent Schwarze’s image, including former NFL sideline broadcaster Michele Tafoya and Royce White, the GOP’s 2024 Senate nominee. The question is whether Schwarze can withstand a new barrage of criticism.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4x7XBr1
AG RACE: via MPR, VERBATIM: “The Republican Attorneys General Association says Minnesota is on its list of states where it plans to book TV ads ahead of the November election. The group says it’s reserving $11 million across six states that it views as particularly competitive. ‘These early TV reservations and direct candidate investments are merely a down payment on the resources RAGA will marshal this fall,’ the association’s Executive Director Adam Piper said. … Attorney General Keith Ellison is running for reelection and is expected to face Republican attorney Ron Schutz.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vdt8WE
FLINT HILLS FAMILY FESTIVAL: Kick off the summer in downtown Saint Paul with the Flint Hills Family Festival on May 29-30, one of the largest and longest-standing events of its kind. The Festival offers free fun for people of all ages in Rice Park and Landmark Plaza, with performances and activities that provide something for everyone, along with world-class shows inside the Ordway for just $8! Now in its 26th year, this year’s Festival lineup includes Cirque Mechanics: TILT!, NOOMA: an opera for babies, and Click Clack Moo! More than one million people have experienced the Festival, including hundreds of thousands of students who have visited on field trips during the Festival’s School Days. Join us this year! LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dhpdBM (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker.
https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
SHERBURNE: via KNSI, VEBRATIM: “What began as an investigation into a case of double voting in Sherburne County may have uncovered a broader pattern of suspicious voting activity across multiple Minnesota counties, all connected to a 2024 St. Cloud City Council race… According to the Sherburne County investigative report filed October 21st, 2024, on October 4th, 2024, staff at the Sherburne County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office in Elk River discovered that two absentee ballot envelopes had been submitted, both in the same name, Hani Farah Gure, a 26-year-old woman from St. Cloud…Sherburne County Auditor/Treasurer Loraine Rupp made the discovery and immediately contacted the Sherburne County Attorney’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office was then asked to investigate. Sergeant Austin Turner was assigned to the case on October 7th, 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fHTewi
CD2: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “DFL Congresswoman Angie Craig has represented [CD2] since 2018, but before that, it was in Republican hands for 16 years. … Republicans say this year, it’s their turn to win back the district. GOP state Sen. Eric Pratt, the endorsed candidate, will face one of three DFL candidates in the general election. … The former US Bank vice president has been a state senator from Prior Lake since 2012.” PRATT: “What you find with the Second District is there’s a high number of independent voters, and they’re not really voting [for] the party, they’re voting for the person.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nLZoxk
SD24: Former Rep. Nels Pierson launched a bid to succeed retiring Sen. Carla Nelson in Senate District 24 as a Republican. Via his website, PIERSON: “To truly represent the values of Southern Minnesota, you need someone actually from Southern Minnesota. … I know the issues you face, and I’m ready to fight for you in the Senate.” WEBSITE: https://fluence-media.co/4nPrCHK
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)
DC
TRANSIT: via Rep. Pete Stauber advisory, VERBATIM: “Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) participated in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s markup of the Build America 250 Act, a bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization bill. … Several of Stauber’s priorities were included. … Under this legislation, Minnesota is estimated to receive $4,836,979,308 in highway apportionments and $141,618,838 per year to support the rehabilitation and construction of bridges.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nLYtgq
HOUSING: via Rep. Ilhan Omar advisory, VERBATIM: “Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) reintroduced the Frank Adelmann Manufactured Housing Community Sustainability Act, which would incentivize manufactured home park owners to sell the park to community residents or nonprofits, rather than another developer or landlord. … [The bill] would create a 75 percent federal tax credit offsetting capital gains if a manufactured housing community is sold to a resident-owned cooperative or nonprofit, rather than another landlord, developer or corporation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PotBGl
OVERSIGHT: via Rep. Brad Finstad advisory, VERBATIM: “Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) announced the introduction of a resolution expressing support for continued efforts to safeguard Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs from waste, fraud, and abuse through strengthened program integrity measures, enhanced oversight, and coordinated enforcement actions. … This resolution was cosponsored by Reps. [including] Pete Stauber (MN-08).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uvbzRH
DESPITE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES FACING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, ESSENTIA HEALTH RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT CONTRIBUTIONS: The Duluth News Tribune’s latest editorial highlights the vital role nonprofit hospitals play in our communities – from providing uncompensated care to supporting access to high-quality care close to home. Read more about why this community benefit matters now more than ever. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u0hiPp (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
STATE GOV
HEALTHINSURANCE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “On the last day of the Minnesota legislature’s 2026 session, lawmakers voted to fund a data collection project to study the spiraling health insurance costs for Minnesota school districts – a first step in reforming the health insurance program. … More than 40 legislators from both parties co-sponsored a bill to create a single, statewide insurance pool, which would be large enough to more cost-effectively absorb expensive claims and give them more bargaining power. … DFL Rep. Liz Reyer of Eagan, lead author of the bill, [said] the plan was to push for the bill to create a health insurance pool during next year’s session.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3S0kZX2
SAFETY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Annunciation [parents] came, sometimes by the dozens, to the State Capitol through the winter and spring to demand lawmakers do something. … Most of it went nowhere. … Still, parents said the session was not a total loss. Lawmakers agreed to require school districts to implement their own anonymous threat reporting system or use the state’s version. … A half-dozen Annunciation parents [said] the experience was frustrating, empowering, and just the beginning of their advocacy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uA7qfw
JUDGES: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced the appointment of Nathan Sosinski, Stacy St George, and Kathryn Fodness as District Court Judges in Minnesota’s Tenth Judicial District. … Sosinski will be replacing the Honorable Suzanne Bollman for the seat chambered in Wright County. … St George will be replacing the Honorable Walter M. Kaminsky for the seat chambered in Sherburne County. … Fodness will be replacing the Honorable Douglas B. Meslow for the seat chambered in Chisago County.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43zAEz3
GLOBAL TRADE BOLSTERS AG ECONOMIES: via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Each year, Minnesota’s exports of corn, ethanol, corn-fed meat, and dried distillers grains (DDGS) alone support over 11,500 jobs and add billions to the state’s economy. They also help ensure that consumers around the world have access to affordable protein and dairy products. In May, during World Trade Month, Minnesota Corn celebrates that important role trade plays in all our lives — in the U.S. and abroad.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dqEqB1 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
ACROSS MN
WASH CTY: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Washington County voters this fall could be asked to support a $40 million referendum question on the Nov. 3 ballot to conserve land and protect water. … The measure, if approved, would result in a property tax increase of approximately $25 a year for the average homeowner, according to county officials.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Rxhjfg
ALBERT LEA: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Albert Lea City Council was wrong to prevent a cannabis microbusiness from setting up shop in the southern Minnesota city last summer, the state Court of Appeals ruled. … The court [said] the council broke its own ordinance and arbitrarily rejected an application from Jacob Schlichter, owner of the Smoking Tree, but the future of the business remains in question after the court declined to force the city to issue a business registration.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tYXaMS
MENDOTA HGTS: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Mendota Heights will receive $4 million in state funding for its proposed Municipal Campus project as part of the bonding bill. … Early city estimates have put total costs for the proposed 49,000-square foot complex at $33.5 million, which city leaders have said is necessary to replace the aging facility where the city houses its governmental and law enforcement operations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3S0lyQE
PLYMOUTH: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A school bus company based in Plymouth has announced 125 layoffs after losing a contract to provide services to a nearby district. First Student in Plymouth informed [DEED] that it would be permanently closing its facility [on] July 31. … The closure is ‘due to the loss of a contract with Wayzata Public School District.’ The positions impacted include bus drivers, dispatchers, technicians, a location manager, and a location safety manager.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wPGERK
LOOKING AHEAD
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will interview candidates for the vacancy in the First Judicial District.
TOMORROW: The IRRR Board will host a special meeting in Eveleth at 9:00 a.m.
TOMORROW: U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison will announce legislation to end veteran homelessness at a 1:00 p.m. press conference. Morrison’s bill is the House companion to Sen. Tina Smith’s Senate bill.
TOMORROW: U.S. Rep. Angie Craig will have media availability in St. Paul at 2:30 p.m. before she officially files to run for U.S. Senate.
THURSDAY: DFL Sen. Aric Putnam will hold a campaign kickoff for his reelection bid in St. Cloud at 5:00 p.m.
THURSDAY: Americans for Prosperity MN will host a debate for Republican gubernatorial candidates on Thursday, May 28 in Duluth at 6:00 p.m. — one day before the party’s endorsing convention. KSTP’s Tom Hauser will moderate the debate.
THURSDAY: U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar will host a town hall with state Rep. Jamie Long, Edina Mayor James Hovlund and Minneapolis City Councilor Linea Palmisano in Minneapolis at 6:00 p.m.
FRI-SUN: The DFL will hold its 2026 convention in Rochester this weekend, while the state GOP has its convention in Duluth. Both parties will decide endorsements for statewide races, including governor, U.S. Senate, secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor.
JUNE 5: via Minneapolis Fed, VERBATIM: “Twice a year, regional economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis survey construction companies to gauge the sector’s performance and overall outlook. … Join Regional Outreach Director Erick Garcia Luna for a webinar discussing results from the spring survey of construction firms across the Ninth District.” The event is at 9:00 a.m.
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BDAYS: Rep. Paul Novotny, journalist Derek Wallbank, attorney Gregg Fishbein
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.