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Update from Wadena, MN (12/8/25)

  • 13 minutes ago

on the road again


map
connecting the dots, 108 stops (so far)

by Erik Osberg on 12/8/25


I’m happiest when I’m meeting people face-to-face. I’m happiest when I’m driving to our next event/appearance. The people that keep showing up are the reason for that happiness. One of our goals as a campaign is to create transformative rather than transactional relationships. From where I sit, I believe we have achieved that goal and will continue to strive to that end. 


We had 5 events last week. All of them were important in their own way. Our biggest event was in Hutchinson. Roughly 70 people braved frigid temps to break bread and create community. There was an informative & entertaining lineup of speakers. Our Field Lead Chris Radel spoke as well as our Comms Team member Alissa Evenson. Our good friend Wayne Roemhildt read the story he wrote comparing this campaign to the story of David & Goliath. 


people gathered
meet-n-greet/fundraiser in Hutchinson

Call & Response 

There was entertainment at our event Wednesday night in Hutchinson. We even had one number that included crowd participation. The talented singer, Hannah Fitzgerald Tjoflat & accompanist John Rodeberg led us through a number where she would sign out a verse & the audience would answer back. It was an homage to Paul Wellstone and his slogan "we all do better when we all do better." It fit perfectly with the theme of the evening.


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The song created a connection between those in attendance & a sense of unity. There were folks from 6 counties represented at this particular gathering. 


I believe politics is a form of call & response - answering a call to create connections and unity. The goal of this campaign is to unify all 38 counties in Minnesota's 7th Congressional District to flip this district and restore checks & balances. Restore congressional oversight. Restore decency. Restore integrity. Restore empathy. Once again, huge thanks to all those who made the night happen and all those who showed up. Keep up the good work!


Southern County Swing

Earlier in the week, we took another swing down south. It started with good times in Marshall. It was great to reconnect with our friends in Lyon County. 20-25 people showed up for connections and conversations at our afternoon meet-n-greet. Had the opportunity to answer some tough questions.  After that we stopped by a demonstration to meet people exercising their 1st Amendment right to peaceably assemble. They were primarily there to show support for immigrant communities. Click here to see our statement regarding recent verbal attacks on new Americans. We then headed over to SMSU to share pizza with students and find out what was on their hearts/minds. Hopefully we can get more campus listening session on the calendar soon. 


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We also made a repeat visit to Windom on this trip. Team Member Dan Peterson did a great job pulling together a last minute lunch & learn. Once again, great questions and fantastic feedback from those in attendance. 


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Last, but certainly not least, we had ourselves another fika on Saturday morning. This time we were in Ada. 20+ people showed up. Huge thanks to the local DFL leaders for putting this gathering together. Norman County holds a special place in our hearts since we celebrated visiting all 38 counties there back in September.


Actions You Can Take

As of Dec. 7th, we have raised $138,000 as a campaign. 100% of these donations are from individual people who have decided to invest in the change they want to see. Our goal is to hit $150,000 by the end of December. If you have already donated, thank you. If you haven't, please consider making an investment today. 


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February 3rd is fast approaching. This will mark the 1st big step in earning the DFL endorsement for the U.S. House of Representatives race in MN-07. We are asking our supporters to Commit to Caucus to ensure our voices are heard and to get this campaign on the ballot in November 2026.  The commitment goes beyond just participating on Feb. 3rd, as there will also be county conventions and eventually a District wide convention in late April. We need your help to create the change we seek. Please, click here to register.


Upcoming visits 

Looking forward, it is another busy week for us. We will be in Pipestone County on Monday evening. Stops are scheduled for Murray County, Lincoln County & Wilkin County on Tuesday. Snow is in the forecast for Tuesday in portions of western Minnesota. Any changes to our schedule will be announced on our social media platforms & Mobilize. 



Events 

Dec. 13th - DFL State Central Committee Meeting - New Brighton, MN


Thank you for all the support & keep up the good work! 

Thanks to our generous donors, we are closing in on $138,000 raised. Our campaign relies on donations from folks like you. If you have already donated, THANK YOU! If you have set up a recurring donation, even better.  If you would like to host a private party fundraiser, click here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/SKQtMANaY0W8nGqHcpukXA2







Update from Wadena, MN (12/1/25)

  • 7 days ago

Hello December


group of people gathered on a patio
Team Osberg at the Holidaze Lighted Parade in Downtown Willmar

by Erik Osberg on 12/1/25


The 2026 midterm elections are 336 days away. When we started this campaign back in March, we were 602 days out. This means we are closing in on the halfway point. I share this to illustrate the importance of every single day that lies ahead. We all get 24 hours in a day. What we do with those hours is up to us. Those daily choices, stacked up over the next 11 months will determine our outcome. 


My hope is that you were able to spend some of your time with family and friends over the weekend. I was fortunate to share Thanksgiving dinner with my wife, our kids, my dad, my sister & my nieces. I cooked the turkey and everyone brought something to share. A good time was had by all. 


We “stormed the field” on Saturday.
We “stormed the field” on Saturday.

I've mentioned that football is a big part of my life. I played, I coach and I'm a big fan of Minnesota's teams. On Saturday, my son and I drove to the Twin Cities despite the forecast for a game between the University of Minnesota & University of Wisconsin. We stood in the stands despite the snowstorm for what turned out to be an epic Border Battle. When the contest was in hand, I mentioned to him we might "storm" the field. I told him we wouldn't be 1st, but if it looked like it was a thing, we were gonna join. In true Minnesota Nice form, fans made their way onto the field in a polite, orderly fashion. Perhaps the coolest part was when Paul Bunyan's Axe was paraded around by players as the crowd danced to “Jump Around.” A fitting song with significance based on a Badger tradition.  The moral of the story is this, when we live a life of no regrets, we can create moments & memories that last forever. As you look at the next 336 days, I hope you choose a path of no regrets.


Small Businesses Matter

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities here in western Minnesota.


We can all take actions to make sure we support them - actions that go above & beyond small business Saturday. Many of the business owners I've talked with over the last 8+ months have shared the challenges they face, especially if they import goods/materials. Rising costs impact business owners as well as consumers. Saving a few dollars shopping at a big box store means less money in our local economies. If we all pick a handful of locally owned/operated stores and commit to spending our hard earned dollars there, it could make a difference. As a former business owner, I know the pressure of making payroll, no matter how small. Please make an effort to shop small & shop local this year. We are all in this together.


Other Actions You Can Take- Commit to Caucus

February 3rd is fast approaching. This will mark the 1st big step in earning the DFL endorsement for the U.S. House of Representatives race in MN-07. We are asking our supporters to Commit to Caucus to ensure our voices are heard and to get this campaign on the ballot in November 2026.  The commitment goes beyond just participating on Feb. 3rd, as there will also be county conventions and eventually a District wide convention in late April. We need your help to create the change we seek. Please, click here to register.


Back on the campaign trail. 

We are hitting the campaign trail running in the month of December. We currently have 4 events planned for this week. We have 2 stops in Lyon County on Tuesday, a stop in McLeod County on Wednesday and a stop in Norman County on Saturday.

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Events 


Thank you for all the support & keep up the good work! 

Thanks to our generous donors, we are closing in on $128,000 raised. Our campaign relies on donations from folks like you. If you have already donated, THANK YOU! If you have set up a recurring donation, even better.  If you would like to host a private party fundraiser, click here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/SKQtMANaY0W8nGqHcpukXA2







Update from Wadena, MN (11/24/25)

  • Nov 24

hope floats


group of people gathered on a patio
Team Osberg at the Holidaze Lighted Parade in Downtown Willmar

by Erik Osberg on 11/24/25


Tis the season for hope. We kicked off our holidays at Holidaze in downtown Willmar this weekend. Even participated in a lighted parade. Huge thanks to everyone who joined us. Kandihoyi County has re-filled our “hope tank” on a number of occasions. This visit was no different.  We were "tabling" before the parade and got to mingle. We met a longtime supporter & her family for the 1st time.  While talking with another couple for the first time, one of them asked who I was running against. I told her & she gave me a hug. We made new friends. Those moments, those connections are what differentiates this campaign from others. We aim to be authentic, honest & grateful. 


And that is what Thanksgiving week means to me. Practicing gratitude and service of others. Throw in food, family, friends and football and you’ve got the recipe for reason to hope. We hope you are able to spend time with loved ones in the coming weeks. These are divisive times we are living. I believe there is common ground to be found.

Met a longtime supporter for the 1st time while tabling at Holidaze in Willmar
Met a longtime supporter for the 1st time while tabling at Holidaze in Willmar

Huge thanks to our new Campaign Manager Andy Evenson & his wife Alissa for helping us out that day. As well as my wife & cousin Laura. 


Pizza, Pints & Politics

We were in Barnesville for an event dubbed Pizza, Pints & Politics earlier in the week. Congrats to MN DFL Senate Districts 4 & 9 on a fantastic fundraiser. It was great to see so many familiar faces and create new connections. We were honored to be part of such a great speaker lineup which included MN Senate Majority Leader Sen. Erin Murphy & former ND State Sen. Joel Heitkamp. To see/hear our speech from Monday night, click here.

Rhetoric vs. Reality

I met with a Human Services Director at one of the counties in Minnesota's 7th Congressional District this week to hear firsthand what their department & staff are dealing with. One of the main takeaways for me was that the rhetoric at the federal level has real life impacts at the local level. "We all lose in the political climate we have right now." they said. "Taking care of our most vulnerable people matters." 


Or at least it used to. The chaos, uncertainty & cruelty coming out of Washington, D.C., can wreak havoc on people who are just trying to do their jobs & serve their communities. This person went on to say they very rarely go 2 or 3 weeks without some form of unexpected change. As a reminder, SNAP is a federal program that has had funding cut at the federal level. The feds are abdicating their responsibility to administer & fund the program and passing that on to taxpayers at the county level. 


The work our county Human Services Departments do goes well beyond SNAP. They handle child protection, child support cases, licensing for day care & foster care, nursing home assistance, disability, mental health case management & more. An already stressed system needs stability & support, not lies & uncertainty.


I believe we need to start treating ALL our neighbors with dignity & compassion. We need to re-humanize issues to remind ourselves there are real people being impacted by the demolition of our safety net systems. I believe we need to stop listening to & spreading the toxic rhetoric those in power peddle. I believe we could start to trust people we know rather than podcasters. I believe we can challenge the misinformation machines that flood the zone with garbage. This campaign has dedicated our efforts to create what we call a shared reality. A reality where we create common ground to solve our problems with common sense.


ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE - Commit to Caucus

One of our goals is to get first time caucus goers to mark Feb. 3rd on their calendar. It is a Tuesday, so you may need to make plans. Caucus day is the first step in awarding the DFL endorsement for the U.S. House of Representatives race in MN-07. Not sure what a caucus is? That’s ok, we can help you. There are hundreds of precincts throughout all of CD7’s 38 counties. On February 3rd, 2026, people will attend these meetings and use their voice to decide who is on the ballot in 2026. There is more to explain, but for right now, we just need everyone to block off the evening of Feb. 3rd. At caucuses, you can also commit to participating in two additional events between March & April - that’s 3 days to help decide who earns the DFL endorsement. Remember all the hard work I’ve mentioned? This is part of it. You, yes you, have to commit to caucus for Erik Osberg if you want to flip a seat. Click here to register.

There was a headline from this week I wanted to respond to. 

I believe nursing is a noble PROFESSION. 


I have biases as a member of my family is studying to be a nurse. I have also heard stories from, and built relationships with numerous nurses over the past 8 months on the campaign trail. 


The current administration is proposing to redefine the amount of money students can borrow in their quest for professional development. In addition to nurses, “physician assistants, physical therapists, educators, social workers, audiologists, architects and accountants were also on the list of degrees that were not classified as ‘professional’ by the (current) Administration.” Source: The Independent. 


Our health care & education systems are already under threat. These callous moves by out of touch elite policy makers are widening an already massive gap between the ultra wealthy and the working class. 


I believe we need representation in Washington, D.C., that is beholden to the people not the powerful. I believe #wecandobetter


Events 

We will be making our first college campus tour stop in December. Other events are developing.  

Nov 27th - Thanksgiving 


Thank you for all the support & keep up the good work! 

Thanks to our generous donors, we are closing in on $125,000 raised. Our campaign relies on donations from folks like you. If you have already donated, THANK YOU! If you have set up a recurring donation, even better.  If you would like to host a private party fundraiser, click here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/SKQtMANaY0W8nGqHcpukXA2







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