Politics Friday

Downtown Minneapolis is short on public restrooms, and City Council Member Katie Cashman is hoping to leverage a languishing streetcar fund to boost the toilet tally. The council votes on the 2026 city budget Tuesday night, and money is tight; Cashman’s proposal carries a $700,000 price tag. Cashman, who represents Ward 7, joined Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition Tuesday to talk about the pros, cons and concerns of her bathroom proposal for the Nicollet Avenue transit corridor. Back in 2019, there was an effort to provide more restrooms downtown, but the city used Port-A-Potties and experienced some safety, security and maintenance concerns, Cashman said. Pre-COVID-19 pandemic, permanent public facilities were more widely available, too. “For example, the ABC parking ramps — those large ramps over by Target Field — had public restrooms, and since COVID, they just have not reopened,” she continued. “So we're dealing with a big lack of bathrooms all throughout downtown, throughout the city, and my proposal is to go with a private vendor who is providing more high-tech, standalone bathrooms.”Listen to the conversation by clicking the player button above.

It was an eventful off-year election across the country. In Minnesota, St. Paul elected a new mayor, state Rep. Kaohly Her. It was in a surprise repudiation of the incumbent, Mayor Melvin Carter.  Across the river, Minneapolis voters gave their mayor, Jacob Frey, another term.  As the dust settles from the the 2025 election, momentum for the 2026 midterms is picking up. Minnesota will see an election as big as they come as voters will elect a governor, a new U.S. senator, key positions from the attorney general to the secretary of state, eight members of the U.S. House and the entire state Legislature — which is now as closely divided as ever. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and a pair of political analysts look back at this week’s voting and look ahead to what’s in store next year. Later in the hour, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate Adam Schwarze made his case on why he’s running and what he’ll have to navigate to reach the fall ballot. Updated on Nov. 13: There were some points in Schwarze’s interview where he referenced proven and alleged fraud in government-managed programs in Minnesota that required a closer look.He said “it’s purported now $6-8 billion that Peggy Flanagan and Tim Walz spent on fraudulent donations to foreign interest groups this last term.”Fraud is a legitimate public concern — one that is causing the Walz administration political problems and leading to new administration actions to detect and prevent it. There have been no independent or official reports that have the numbers that high. The suggestion that it was for “donations to foreign interest groups” is a stretch — even as some nutrition aid wound up being transferred abroad by alleged or convicted scammers.Federal prosecutor Joe Thompson, the lead U.S. attorney on the Feeding Our Future and other fraud investigations involving federal passthrough dollars, has said publicly that fraud in Minnesota is believed to be “in the billions of dollars.”Further into the interview, Schwarze claimed that Flanagan, the current lieutenant governor and a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, “racked up $354,000 on a government credit card” over two years without receipts.The attribution to Flanagan is false, according to auditors who first used that accurately cited figure in a recent audit. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall told MPR News this week that Flanagan wasn’t issued a purchasing card during the period reviewed.“Those payments related to Governor’s Office employees (not the Lieutenant Governor) who had state purchasing cards during that period,” Randall said, relaying a message from the auditor directly involved in the review.The audit did raise concern over lack of required documentation tied to the expenses, but the governor’s office said new procedures have since been put in place to address the reporting gaps.Guests: Chas Anderson is the co-CEO and senior principal at Park Street Public and a longtime Republican strategist. Todd Rapp is the president and CEO at Rapp Strategies and a veteran DFL strategist. Adam Schwarze is U.S. Marine veteran and former Navy SEAL seeking the Republican nomination for Minnesota’s U.S. Senate seat. Peter Cox is a correspondent for MPR News.Michelle Griffith is a reporter for the Minnesota Reformer.Nathaniel Minor is a reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation or subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. 

Voters in Minneapolis are electing a mayor this fall, and it's a crowded race with 15 names on the ballot. Four of the leading candidates for Minneapolis mayor address key issues and how they intend to lead their city in a MPR News/Minnesota Star Tribune debate. The candidates were selected because they’ve been the most active in their contacts with voters and in putting resources into the race.Incumbent Jacob Frey, state Sen. Omar Fateh, business owner and attorney Jazz Hampton and minister DeWayne Davis address public safety, property taxes, minimum wage and downtown development. MPR News senior editor Brandt Williams and The Minnesota Star Tribune’s metro columnist Eric Roper moderated the Minneapolis mayoral candidate debate from the UBS Forum in downtown St. Paul. MPR News/Star Tribune debate Minneapolis mayor candidates differ over policing, minimum wage at This event was recorded on Oct. 27. Watch the video stream of the debate on the MPR News YouTube channel.Guests:Jacob Frey is the two-term incumbent mayor for the city of Minneapolis. Omar Fateh is a DFL state senator serving Minneapolis. Jazz Hampton is a business owner and attorney in Minneapolis. DeWayne Davis is the lead minister of the Plymouth Congregational Church of Minneapolis. Use the audio player above to listen to the full debate or subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. 

Rochester is changing in many ways. City blocks are filled with construction work zones. Streets are littered with detours. Cranes tower over the skyline as a massive makeover plays out.Much of it is tied to a major medical expansion associated with the largest employer around — Mayo Clinic.  There have also been political shifts. Rochester is one of the shrinking number of places outside of the Twin Cities-area where Democrats seem to have an upper hand. It wasn’t always that way.On this special broadcast of Politics Friday, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst heads to Rochester, where he and his guests talk about what’s behind the spruce-up and where the city’s politics fit in the southeastern part of the state. Politics Friday in Rochester, Minn. Plus, we’ll meet a candidate hoping to make his way to Congress from southern Minnesota. He’s an underdog out of the gate. Then, we’ll get to know more about Molly Castle Work, the newest MPR News reporter based in Rochester, and a special field production. Later, a politics panel with Dana Ferguson and Catharine Richert. Politics Friday: Voices from Rochester, Minnesota Matt Alvarez, Molly Castle Work, Lukas Levin, and Paton Whaley. On Fridays, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst discusses Minnesota politics. The show often features a number of voices in a weekly audio postcard.In this special feature, MPR News reporter Molly Castle Work and producer Matt Alvarez ventured out to gauge the economic temperature from Minnesotans in the southeastern part of the state. Guests: Kim Norton is the Mayor of Rochester. She became the first woman to be elected Mayor of Rochester in 2018 after a prior stint in the Legislature. Patrick Seeb is the Destination Medical Center (DMC) Economic Development Agency Executive Director. Sen. Carla Nelson is a Republican representing the southeastern area of the state, now in her fifth term.  Jake Johnson is a Democrat running for election to the U.S. House of Representatives for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. Molly Castle Work is an MPR News reporter based in Rochester. She covers health care in southeast Minnesota. Dana Ferguson is a political correspondent for MPR News. She has covered Minnesota politics and state government for Forum News Service. Catharine Richert is a correspondent based in Rochester, where she covers southeast Minnesota for MPR News. She also leads Talking Sense, a reporting project helping Minnesotans have hard conversations about politics, better.  This discussion was recorded at 125 LIVE in Rochester, Minn. on Oct. 21. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation or subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. 

Three candidates for St. Paul mayor addressed key issues and how they intend to lead the capital city in a MPR News/Pioneer Press debate. Incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter, DFL state Rep. Kaohly Her and scientist and business owner Yan Chen talked about their plans for addressing economic development, taxes, crime, homelessness and rising city costs. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and Pioneer Press reporter Fred Melo moderated the St. Paul mayoral candidate debate from the UBS Forum in downtown St. Paul. This event was recorded on Tuesday. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation, or watch the video stream of the debate on the MPR News YouTube channel.Guests:Melvin Carter is the incumbent mayor for St. Paul. Carter is running for a third term to serve Minnesota’s capital city. Kaohly Her is a DFL state representative serving St. Paul. Yan Chen is a scientist and business owner in St. Paul. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. 

Former state Sen. Scott Jensen maneuvered his way through a crowded governor’s race field to gain the Republican Party’s backing in 2022. Now, he’s hoping to do it again. Jensen, a family physician, won the Minnesota Republican Party endorsement in 2022 but lost in November to Gov. Tim Walz by more than 7 percentage points. He says he’s running again to “restore the values, safety and opportunity that once made Minnesota a national model for prosperity and fairness,” he said in July as he announced his latest candidacy.MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talked with Jensen about his new campaign.Then, it’s harvest time. But this season has a lot of Minnesota farmers on edge. Their crop yields are generally strong, but their markets are in question because of global trade tensions.  We’re joined by two MPR News reporters to detail how farmers are coping with trade barriers with China during the tariffs fight.Guests: Scott Jensen is a former state senator and family physician and is pursuing the Republican endorsement for Minnesota’s 2026 governor’s race. Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.  Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval is an MPR News reporter based in the Fargo-Moorhead area. He covers the region with a focus on agriculture. 

Minnesota Republicans feel good about their chances in 2026. They’ve got lots of opportunities to break through on the statewide map — with several key offices on the line. None is more tantalizing than the governor’s office. DFL Gov. Tim Walz is after a third term, and Republicans are out to convince voters he’s worn out his welcome. One of the candidates working to make that case is GOP state Rep. Kristin Robbins, who has made fraud a campaign focus from her position as chair of the House Committee on Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight. Rep. Robbins talks with MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst about why she’s running and how she’ll navigate a field of GOP hopefuls. Later, we’ll get an update on the impending closure of the Stillwater prison from Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell. His department is under orders to shutter the facility by 2029.

Gov. Tim Walz has divided attention these days as his political past, present and future all collide.A new book offers details of the vice presidential run that turned him into a national figure. Ongoing issues with fraud in government programs and efforts to combat gun violence have him at loggerheads with legislative Republicans. And he’s in the early days of a run for an unprecedented third, four-year term. Walz talked with MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst about all of it.Later, a conversation about the state of speech in current times as political leaders, companies and everyday Americans assess the way we communicate.Guests:   Tim Walz is a second-term Minnesota governor and 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate.  Jane L. Sumner is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. She is the author of “The Cost of Doing Politics: How Partisanship and Public Opinion Shape Corporate Influence.” Thomas C. Berg is the James L. Oberstar professor of law and public policy at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. 

As the midterm campaign approaches, the political winds are starting to kick up around Minnesota.Places that used to send Democrats to St. Paul or Washington no longer do — or at least not as much. Meanwhile, Republicans are working to head off the historical trend of the president’s party losing ground.On this special broadcast of Politics Friday, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst heads to Moorhead, Minn., where he and his guests talk about the shift toward Republicans in the northwestern part of the state. Plus, we learn how the parties are trying to connect with voters in these tense political times.  Then, a conversation about the relationship between local, state and federal government and how it’s also undergoing a makeover. What does that mean for how the public gets served? A county commissioner offers her take. Later, we’ll meet the newest MPR News reporter based in Moorhead, followed by a politics panel with Dan Gunderson and Dana Ferguson. Guests: Sen. Robert Kupec is a Democrat representing District 4 — the Moorhead-Detroit Lakes area of the state. He is a former TV meteorologist for KVRR in the Red River Valley.  Paul Harris is the DFL chair for Clay County. Rodney Johnson is the Republican chair for Clay County.  Jenny Mongeau is the District 3 Commissioner for Clay County. Her current term expires in January 2027. Mongeau has served on the Board of Commissioners since 2015.  Dana Ferguson is a senior politics reporter for MPR News covering Minnesota politics and state government for Forum News Service. She has also reported on state legislatures in South Dakota for the Argus Leader and in Wisconsin for The Associated Press and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval is a reporter for MPR News based in Moorhead focusing on agriculture.   Dan Gunderson is a correspondent based in Moorhead. He covers general news for a wide swath of western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota with a focus on the environment, agriculture and Indian Country. He has been reporting for MPR News since 1987.      This discussion was recorded at the Trollwood Performing Arts School in Moorhead, Minn. on Sept. 17. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. 

Minnesota’s House of Representatives has been tested in the last year by a political tie, a lawmaker’s assassination and now consideration of a special session to respond to high-profile acts of violence.In their first joint interview, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with Republican Speaker Lisa Demuth and new DFL Leader Zack Stephenson about their hopes and expectations for a special session. Gov. Tim Walz might call one even if lawmakers lack a prior agreement on what gets considered and possibly brought to votes.Their conversation also explores how the two will work together in 2026, an election year where nothing is required of lawmakers in their February-to-May session.Later, author Lori Sturdevant talks about her new book on Martin Sabo, a former Minnesota House speaker and venerable congressman whose career spanned almost five full decades.Guests: Republican Speaker of the Minnesota House Lisa DemuthDFL Caucus Leader Rep. Zack Stephenson Lori Sturdevant, author of “Martin Sabo: The Making of the Modern Legislature”Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

With just a little over a year until the 2026 midterms, office-seeking Minnesotans are building their campaigns for the state’s top political positions.On the Republican side, several candidates are vying for a GOP nomination to replace Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, although Walz has yet to state if he’ll try for an unusual third term.Some prominent DFLers are campaigning hard for an open U.S. Senate seat as Sen. Tina Smith prepares to retire at the end of her term.MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst introduces us to two candidates: Republican candidate for governor Kendall Qualls and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angie Craig, a member of the U.S. House currently representing the state’s 2nd District.Also, how likely is a special session for state lawmakers? Walz has hinted at a potential emergency legislative session to address gun possession, mental health care access and school safety issues. MPR News reporters Clay Masters and Dana Ferguson break down the latest from the state Capitol.Guests: Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig is pursuing a Senate seat in 2026. Rep. Craig represents Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District and handily won her fourth term in 2024.Kendall Qualls is an Army veteran and a Republican candidate running for Minnesota’s 2026 governor’s race. Qualls is a former business executive who has led conservative advocacy groups in recent years and ran for the post in 2022. The discussion with Rep. Craig was recorded at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 28 and was lighted edited for the broadcast. The full conversation can be heard on the Politics Friday podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

Minnesota was rocked over the weekend by the politically targeted shootings of two state lawmakers. State Rep. Melissa Hortman, a former DFL House Speaker, was fatally shot along with her husband, Mark. DFL State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, are still recovering after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. Political leaders and many Minnesotans are still trying to make sense of it all. In the hours after the suspect in those shootings was arrested, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst, Minnesota Now host Nina Moini and politics reporter Clay Masters spoke with three of the state’s top political leaders. Guests: Gov. Tim Walz is a former Democratic vice presidential candidate and second-term DFL governor of Minnesota.House speaker Lisa Demuth is a Republican from Cold Spring.Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is a DFLer, a former state representative and a candidate for the U.S. senate.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

Minnesota lawmakers are breathing a bit easier now that they’ve finally adopted a new budget — roughly $66 billion over the next two years. The Legislature met earlier this week for a special session to get the work done. There were protests, long debates, stories of immigration, but lawmakers managed to pass 15 bills in less than one day. On this special podcast edition of Politics Friday, MPR politics editor Brian Bakst and reporter Ellie Roth take us through the action.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Politics Friday won’t be coming to you every Friday this summer but will appear here and there in this podcast feed as events warrant.  Rest assured, we’ll be back to a more-regular cadence this fall.  Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

It’s been about three weeks since the the Legislature adjourned from the 2025 session without completing a state budget.Since then, teams of negotiators have met, mostly in private, to try to chart a path to the end and craft remaining budget bills. Lawmakers will have to complete this task to avoid a partial government shutdown that would interrupt services in state parks, key health programs, driver’s licensing exams and more. A one-day special session has been called for 10 a.m. Monday. Will there be enough votes to approve a final compromise? MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talks with two House leaders about a state budget and what could happen if the budget deal isn’t met.  Later in the program, a look at the return-to-office for many state employees and a roundtable with Capitol journalists on everything happening in this not-so-quiet start to summer. Guests:  GOP Floor Leader of the House Harry Niska, Ramsey DFL Floor Leader of the House Jamie Long, Minneapolis Former Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget Jim SchowalterSubscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

The Minnesota Legislature is hanging around a bit longer. The yearly work was supposed to end Monday, May 19 but lawmakers adjourned with unfinished business. Now, they’re gearing up for a special session. Most of the budget is unresolved and the final points of agreement are still not in hand. So when might this be done and is a government shutdown a possibility?MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with Gov. Tim Walz about the legislative session and his role in settling the budget dispute. He is urging lawmakers to avoid the worst-case scenario, which would be entering July without a budget. Later in the program, political analysts unpack the political landscape amid the action and inaction in Minnesota and Washington. Guests:   Tim Walz is a former Democratic vice presidential candidate and second-term DFL governor of Minnesota.Abou Amara is a Democratic political analyst and Twin Cities attorney.  Preya Samsundar is a political analyst and a GOP strategist. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

The end of the Minnesota Legislature’s session was supposed to be right around the corner — Monday, May 19 — but just like the choppy start of this year’s session, the ending is proving to be difficult. Back in January, a politically tied House got off to a delayed start. Now, the possibility of a special session looms over the Capitol.  MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with legislative leaders about the state budget and the final push to the end of this session.  Guests:  GOP Floor Leader of the House Harry Niska, Ramsey DFL Floor Leader of the House Jamie Long, Minneapolis Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson, East Grand Forks    Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Almost 40 percent of the state budget goes to preschool through high school education – around $25 billion over two years. For school districts, state dollars make up most of what gets spent on classroom costs, from teacher salaries to specialists to materials. So it’s no surprise that the education budget bill is always one of the last to come together. MPR News politics editor discusses what’s happening in schools and the direction state lawmakers might go when setting a new education budget.  The Legislature’s finale is near, but the new state budget is still a work in progress. And it’s going to take some long days and long nights to meet the May 19 adjournment deadline. Guests:  Rep. Cheryl Youakim, DLF-Hopkins, is co-chair of Education Finance Sen. Jason Rarick, R-Pine City, is the ranking minority member of the Education Finance Committee Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

This month marks two years since Minnesota lawmakers passed the bill to legalize marijuana use and possession for adults 21 and older. Commercial sales have taken a bit of time to get going. Outside of Minnesota tribal communities and the medical cannabis program, the retail space is still taking shape. The initial licenses around cultivation, transportation, distribution and sales could be issued soon. Even then, it will take time for everything to shake out. What might it look like and how will the market interact with established tribal operations? MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst discusses both with his guests. Then, time is flying by at the Capitol. We’ll get an update on the budget deliberations a little more than two weeks from the retired adjournment. Guests: Melissa Olson is a reporter for the MPR News Native News Initiative and a contributor to the North Star Journey series. She is also an essayist and community archivist.   Eric Taubel is the interim director for Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management. Senate Finance Committee Chair John Marty, DFL-RosevilleHouse Ways and Means Committee Co-Chair Paul Torkelson, R-HanskaSubscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

Gov. Tim Walz had his chance this week to assess the condition of Minnesota in a speech where he spent a lot of time focused on what the president is up to.Had November’s election ended differently, Peggy Flanagan would have been the one delivering the State of the State address at the Minnesota Capitol. Instead, the DFL lieutenant governor was seated beside Walz at this week’s speech. She’s running for the U.S. Senate in 2026. Flanagan has competition for the DFL nomination. So how is she introducing herself and what sets her apart? She speaks with MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst. Then, a look at President Donald Trump’s actions immigration. MPR News reporter Sarah Thamer explains how the get-tough immigration policies are impacting communities across the state. Later in the program, a round up of the voices heard at the Capitol and a political reporter panel recaps the latest from the Legislature and the governor’s State of the State address. Guests:Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy FlanaganSarah Thamer, senior reporter for the MPR News Race, Class and Communities teamSubscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   

The Minnesota House and Senate chambers and all the committee rooms have been quiet this week while the Legislature is on recess.The Capitol will be a busy place though as the dash-to-the-finish begins next week. That phase can be filled with strategy, hijinks and downright trickery. In one respect, it’s how the Capitol wound up in St. Paul in the first place. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and associate digital producer Anika Besst will revisit that caper — and how one spurned city might finally get recognition. Then, a hunt for the origins of a law that should keep imbibing lawmakers on their best behavior. If not, “habitual drunkenness” could get them removed. Later, MPR economics contributor Chris Farrell looks at the way tariffs of long ago hit in Minnesota. Plus, Peter Cox talks about how a powerhouse baseball team that played more than a century ago could land a plaque at the Capitol complex.Guests:Anika​ Besst is an associate digital producer for MPR News. Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR News and Marketplace.  Peter Cox is a general assignment reporter for MPR News and is currently covering politics at the Minnesota Capitol. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.