Update from Wadena, MN

making time

by Erik Osberg on 5/12/25

Check out our new look for our old boat.

We have hit the 2 month mark for our campaign. And we are still afloat ;-) I shared a belief when we launched back on March 11th. I believe there are blue dots (DFLer’s) on the map in western Minnesota. I’ve got good news. There are more blue dots than I believed. All we have to do now is connect those dots. We’ve spent the first two months listening to voters. We’ve been taking notes. We’ve been creating connections. One of the core values of this campaign is work hard/play hard. The only way we win is if we outwork everyone else. While having some fun along the way. Here are the numbers from the first 8 weeks:

• 18 counties out of 38 visited

• Almost $32,000 raised

• 100’s of face to face conversations

• 1 cool lookin’ boat 

we got out on the lake this weekend, hope you did too

We believe western Minnesota needs leadership that meets people where they are at. We'll be bringing this rig to lakes, landings & events across the district all summer. If you see us out-n-about, snap a pic, give us a wave, or better yet a ✌️for VICTORY. 

We're hitting the road & the water with a message that is loud, & proud & purple. WE CAN DO BETTER.

We spent this weekend celebrating Minnesota’s inland walleye/pike Opener. Got to catch some walleye, pike, bass & crappie. Hope you were able to get out & enjoy all western Minnesota has to offer. 

We are hitting the open road again this week. We will be in Morris, MN on Thursday, May 15th for some Stevens County DFL Dinner Conversations. It will be held at the Morris American Legion Hall. 

Our next stops

• May 15th - Stevens County DFL Dinner Conversations

• May 17th - SD 9 DFL Business Convention

• May 20th - MN DFL Listening Tour

$50k by the end of May

Click here to help us hit our goal of raising $50k by the end of May. We really, really want to start planning some fish frys, but we really need to hit the $50,000 raised mark before we can execute the Reel Talk Tour. 

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

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 haven't donated, please share our announcement video.

Help fuel our campaign

Update from Wadena, MN (May, 5)

listen, learn, lead

by Erik Osberg on 5/5/25

Erik Osberg speaking at the MN DFL CD7 business convention

We are closing in on two months on the campaign trail. We’ve met so many hardworking, kind people already. We are also super grateful for the support & encouragement.

Last week, we visited 3 counties, Stearns, Becker & Douglas. The meeting in Stearns County was at Saint Benedict University in St. Joseph for the SD 13 Spring Dinner & a special welcome home for new MN DFL Chair Richard Carlbom. Richard is a graduate of St. John’s University & served as Mayor of St. Joseph. US Senate Candidate Melisa Lopez Franzen gave a great speech, as did Jill Kelly of Americans for Democracy. As well as leaders like Shannon Douvier, David Boeckermann, Buzz Schneider, Jim Read and AFL-CIO rep Joe Baratta. I even got to meet more Minnesota musicians as Cannery Row provided the perfect soundtrack for an evening of connection and community. Great to see this level of energy and action this early. I too was allowed to address the crowd. Got to meet a lot of great people, create connections & celebrate community. 

garage gathering in Becker County

Had another "garage gathering". This time with the Becker County DFL.  Of course no visit to DL is complete w/o stopping to see Alexa's Elixir in the City Park. Made new friends and saw a few old ones. Former Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer was there. He recently a book about former MN Gov. Rudy Perpich. US Senate candidate Melisa Lopez Franzen was there too. We believe this was the 4th time we've seen Melisa on the campaign trail. We shared our vision for our campaign. Touched on our key issues; Public Education, Rural Health Care & Ag.

We also shared our core values of hard work, integrity, honesty, empathy, compassion & kindness. Thanks for the invite & hospitality Ted & crew. Thank you for your years of dedicated service.

Our 3rd stop was at the DFL Congressional District 7 business convention in Alexandria. New leadership was elected. I was able to address those in attendance and share what this campaign is about.

I'm once again grateful to all those who stand up to serve in whatever capacity fits them best. Special thanks to CD7 Chair Jennifer Cronin & the entire board for their dedication to the cause. 

I'm also grateful to have met some folks face-to-face for the 1st time. Even got to hang out with a couple who was celebrating their Anniversary by doing the work As we've said all along, we are driven by our values to take action. We seek to listen, learn & lead. Melissa Lopez Franzen, Ben Schierer, former CD7 Congressional Candidate AJ Peters, Dan Peterson, Logan Kortgard & others were also able to share what was on their minds.

Our next stops

• May 9th/10th - GONE FISHIN’

• May 15th - Stevens County DFL Dinner Conversations

• May 17th - SD 9 DFL Business Convention

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

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 haven't donated, please share our announcement video.

Help fuel our campaign

Update from Wadena, MN (April, 28)

a rolling stone gathers no moss

by Erik Osberg on 4/27/25

Stearns United group met in Melrose, MN on 4/24/25

Our quest to connect the blue dots in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District continues. As does our desire to create a community for all. 

Last week, we visited 2 counties, Stearns & Clay. The meeting in Stearns County was with a non-partisan group called Stearns United. I was impressed. Not only were there a lot of people in the room, around 50ish, they seemed to have their ducks in a row. The meeting consisted of committee leads reporting to the larger group about the actions they have taken and actions to be done. I was allowed to address the crowd at the end of the meeting. Lots of really engaging questions were asked, which led to great conversations. The quote that kept running through my head was from Theodore Roosevelt; “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” I believe the time for doing nothing has passed. 

Clay County DFL Convention

I took part in the  Clay County DFL Convention in Moorhead, MN over the weekend. I'm grateful for the work these folks have done to make this area a stronghold of Democracy and opportunity over the years. Huge thanks to those who showed up for their 1st meeting as well. Bringing with them new energy and perspectives. I'm also grateful for the leadership of people like Representative Heather Keeler, Senator Rob Kupec and candidate Thaddeus Laugisch.

Once again, I was allowed to address the room and field questions. What I took away from the meeting was the need to keep showing up, even when it is hard. The need to hold onto empathy & truth. Democracy is more than just voting. We must be involved from the grassroots level to the national level if we are to maintain our abundance and shared opportunities.

Our next stops

• April 29th - Senate District 13 Welcome Home Banquet for Richard Carlbom https://sd13dfl.org/calendar/

• May 1st - Becker County DFL spring ditch cleanup & meet-n-greet

• May 3rd - MN DFL CD7 Business Convention - Alexandria Discovery Middle School https://www.dflcd7.org/event-details/2025-cd7-dfl-business-convention

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

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 haven't donated, please share our announcement video.

Help fuel our campaign