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Update from Wadena, MN

  • Dec 17, 2025

win the day


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Team Osberg at the MN DFL State Central Committee meeting in the Twin Cities

by Erik Osberg on 12/15/25


We had another eventful week. Despite mother nature’s efforts to slow us down, we put on roughly 800 miles and added 4 more stops to the campaign trail. 

We have a lot of sayings or mottos on our team. It is one of the ways we create culture and connect people. A couple of weeks ago, I challenged our Leadership Team to NOT get distracted by the massiveness of our quest. Or the noise that can surround us. I encouraged them to focus on the present & "win the day."


On Saturday, 5 of our team members braved frigid temps to travel to the Twin Cities for the MN DFL State Central Committee Meeting at Irondale High School. It was an opportunity to reconnect with folks we've gotten to know over the last 9 months & deepen those relationships. It was also an opportunity to meet some new people. In addition, it was a chance to show party leadership just how much this campaign has grown over the last month. I can confidently say we made the most of the opportunity.

Pia Lopez, Jim Read, and Connie Lindstrom were some of the 1st to arrive at the MN DFL SCC Meeting. MN DFL Chair Richard Carlbom was serving up donuts for early arrivals.
Pia Lopez, Jim Read, and Connie Lindstrom were some of the 1st to arrive at the MN DFL SCC Meeting. MN DFL Chair Richard Carlbom was serving up donuts for early arrivals.

Pia Lopez is our Caucus Coordinator and she was a ROCK STAR Saturday. She greeted almost everyone upon their arrival and got the information we need to be in a position to dominate at precinct caucuses on February 3rd. Andy & Alissa Evenson did what they do best and made sure we had a presence that could not only be seen, but also felt. This was another step forward in the process of earning the DFL endorsement and to be the ones on the ballot come November 3, 2026. 


We are forever grateful for everyone who has risen to the challenge the past few weeks. As you are faced with challenges this week, please remember to NOT get distracted; focus on the task at hand and just win the day. When we stack all those wins on top of each other, we will have paved a different path to a different outcome.


Revisiting Pipestone, Murray & Lincoln Counties 

We were fortunate to get ahead of this week’s snow storm and complete return visits to Pipestone County, Murray County, and Lincoln County. We had a great round table discussion in Pipestone Monday night. We fielded questions for over an hour and a half. I did my best to address everyone's concerns while laying out the vision for our campaign. Huge thanks to everyone who came out to share what is on their hearts & minds. Grateful for the connections.

We had a solid roundtable discussion in Pipestone, MN. 
We had a solid roundtable discussion in Pipestone, MN. 

Tuesday included stops in Slayton and Tyler. On this trip my role seemed to be that of facilitator. We chatted for over 2 hours that morning in Slayton. Perhaps the coolest part is everyone at the table contributed. We talked about a wide range of topics, including: monopolies, veterans’ benefits, rights & responsibilities, public lands, AI, agriculture, education, healthcare, and more.

This was our 3rd trip to Murray County and 2nd stop in Lincoln County since announcing in March. It was great to meet some new neighbors. We also talked a lot about HOW we win. We talked about the growth of this campaign. We talked about what we believe is our path to victory. The other good news is with every single visit, to every single community we are finding common concerns and talking about solutions. 


Got more ink

We were featured in the McLeod County Chronicle again. This article is about our event in Hutchinson back on Dec. 3rd. I know I'm biased, but I 💜 the headline - "gratitude & grassroots" has a nice ring to it. Click HERE to read the story. 


Huge thanks to everyone who showed up and those who made the evening happen. WE>ME

Our next big thing

We have one more big event on the calendar before we take a break over the holidays. We will have a meet-n-greet/fundraiser at Ciao Thyme in Little Falls this Wednesday (12/17/25) from 6pm - 9pm. This will be a chance to celebrate all the good things that have happened in 2025 while looking forward to the work that lies ahead in 2026. Food is on us, so please pre-register so we can plan accordingly. Bring a friend, family member, neighbor, acquaintance, and/or a stranger. Let’s make it another evening to remember.

Other Actions You Can Take

Invest in the change you seek: We are on our way to $150k! As of Dec. 14th, we have raised over $142,000 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. 


Caucus: Don’t forget, Feb. 3rd is fast approaching. We are asking our supporters to Commit to Caucus to ensure our voices are heard and get this campaign on the ballot on Nov. 3rd.  As a reminder, this commitment goes beyond just participating on Feb. 3rd, as there will also be county conventions and eventually a District-wide convention in April. We need your help to create the change we seek. Please, click here to register.


Events 

Dec. 25th - Merry Christmas!

Jan. 5th - Pope County DFL meet-n-greet

Jan. 8th - DFL Rural Caucus Annual meeting

Jan. 13th - Sibley County DFL meeting


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

Thanks to our generous donors, we are closing in on $142,000 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 (12/8/25)

  • Dec 8, 2025

on the road again


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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.


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. 


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. 


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. 


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







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