News | Erik Osberg for Congress

Updates

Erik Osberg Completes Tour of All 38 Counties in Minnesota’s Seventh District

Sep 15

Wadena, MN – Today, DFL congressional candidate Erik Osberg announced that he has officially visited every county in Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District, completing a 6-month-long tour to meet with voters, local leaders, and community members across the region.

MN-07, which spans 38 counties in western Minnesota, is one of the largest congressional districts in the nation. Osberg emphasized that the tour wasn’t just about geography, but about listening directly to the people he hopes to represent in Congress.

“From Ada to Appleton, Warroad to Windom, and everywhere in between, the people of Western Minnesota have shared their hopes, frustrations, and ideas with me,” said Osberg. “I’m running for Congress because folks here deserve a representative who listens, who understands rural values, and who will fight for working families in Washington.”

Along the way, Osberg held community meet-and-greets, visited family farms and small businesses, and connected with Minnesotans on the issues that matter most: affordable health care, supporting family farmers, strengthening public education, protecting Social Security and Medicare, investing in rural communities, and restoring faith in our democracy.

The completion of the district-wide tour marks a major milestone in Osberg’s campaign, underscoring his commitment to grassroots, face-to-face campaigning. “Western Minnesota is my home. I believe the best way to lead is to listen first—and that’s exactly what this tour has been about,” Osberg added. “Now, it’s time to take those conversations and turn them into action.”

Osberg will continue traveling the district through the fall and will visit all 38 counties again in 2026, building on the connections made during the county tour and sharing his vision for a Congress that puts working-class values and common sense ahead of partisan politics. For upcoming events, visit erikosberg.com/events.

About Erik Osberg

Erik Osberg is a husband, father, and proud working-class Minnesotan. He believes actions speak louder than words. Erik has spent his life trying to help his neighbors. He’s worked in the financial sector, public sector, media & trades. He’s also been a small business owner. Erik is a creative problem solver who values hard work, integrity & kindness. Now, he’s running to bring real leadership & real solutions to Western Minnesota.

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Update from Wadena, MN (9/08/25)

Sep 8

writing our own narrative

group of people gathered on a patio — Grant County DFL Steak Fry in Ashby, MN

by Erik Osberg on 9/8/25

The American Legion in Ashby, MN was packed Sunday night for the Annual Grant County DFL Steak Fry Fundraiser. I asked Chair Jay McNamar what "success" would look like, his answer was 100 people. Congrats on a successful evening everyone, I counted over 100 in attendance at the American Legion. Maybe even 125ish. Jay did a great job MC'ing the event and there was a fantastic lineup of speakers. State Rep. John Hout was there, as was Minnesota State Auditor Candidate Ben Schierer. Current radio personality & former North Dakota State Senator Joel Heitkamp spoke as well. He talked about not letting others control the narrative of who we are as Democrats here in western Minnesota. I couldn't agree more. We have said from day 1 that one of our goals is to write our own narrative.

I got to see a lot of people we've met along the way for a 2nd, 3rd, 4th & dare I say 5th time. The reports of the DFL's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Lots of fine folks are putting in the work to create different outcomes in 2026. Also helping neighbors get through the challenges of today. Huge shoutout to the people who did the prep-work, planning, setup, cooking, cleaning & more. A very well run event. Thanks again for the invite & the opportunity to meet new people.

I met a woman named Diane at the SD15 Corn Feed down in Redwood Falls, MN back in early August. She came up to me after my speech and wanted to ask me a few questions & share her story. We stepped aside from the picnic area so we could chat. She shared that she used to vote Republican. She shared grave concern for Ukraine. She told me she had been hanging signs on a pedestrian bridge in Glencoe, MN on Saturday mornings. I asked if she could use a hug, she said yes. I gave her my card and some encouragement. Diane later reached out to me and asked if she could hang a banner with my name on it on the bridge. I said I'd be honored. She sent me this pic over the weekend. Keep fighting the good fight Diane! To all the others that are taking action... Keep up the good work! We might not be able to stop bad things from happening right now, but we can put ourselves in a position to flip a district when midterm elections roll around.

Call me crazy, but I enjoy splitting wood the "old fashioned" way. Granted, I don't do it all day every day, but I've split my fair share.

Abraham Lincoln talked about the importance of sharpening one's axe. Same can apply to a splittin' maul or even a political campaign. Each time we meet with people face-to-face and let them ask questions, we are improving our odds. We are honing our skills, exercising our brains & our braun. I've said on many occasions that this is a process orientated campaign. Yes, the result is important, however we believe our discipline, not our desire, determines our outcome. Taking action creates change.

Our schedule picks up starting this weekend. We’ve got another Community Fish Fry coming up on Saturday, Sept. 13th in Barnesville, MN. If all goes as planned, we will have visited all 38 counties in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District with a meet-n-greet in Ada, MN.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Here is a look at more upcoming events.

Sep 13th - Norman County meet-n-greet - Ada, MN

Sep 13th - Community Fish Fry - Barnesville, MN

Sep 14th - DFL Working Families Picnic - Detroit Lakes, MN

Sept 17th - Douglas County meet-n-greet - Miltona, MN

Sep 27th- Renville County DFL Hotdish Dinner - Renville, MN

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

Thanks to our generous donors, we are closing in on $92,000 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

Please share our announcement video .

Help fuel our campaign

Update from Wadena, MN (9/02/25)

Sep 2

change is in the air

by Erik Osberg on 9/2/25

We’ve reached the unofficial end of summer. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn. The sun is setting earlier. Schools are back in session. There is change happening amongst voters in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District as well. We connected with roughly 300 people, in-person, over the past week. We had a Community Fish Fry in Pelican Rapids, MN (Otter Tail County) that brought out 90-100 people. We also had a Community Social in Atwater, MN (Kandiyohi County) that 125-ish people attended. On Monday, 75 folks were on hand for the McLeod County DFL Labor Day Picnic. Lots of people thank me for running, but if it weren’t for them showing up, it wouldn’t work. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. We are forever in debt to the people we seek to serve for helping us create the change we seek. One day at a time.

Roughly 125 people attended our Community Social in Atwater, MN featuring The Cactus Blossoms.

On Thursday, August 28th, over 100 people gathered to celebrate at a Community Social event in Atwater, MN. There was a lineup of speakers & local experts that brought their perspectives. I spoke briefly and then took quite a few questions. By the end, it almost felt more like problem solving than stump-speeching. The topics were wide ranging and the questions weren’t easy. I did my best to be honest and straightforward. Gotta work on being more concise ;-)

The Cactus Blossoms took the stage and gave the evening a soundtrack. Special thanks to everyone who helped make last night happen. A team of people have been organizing and spreading the word. Word is getting out. There is a different path to a different outcome. We are blazing a trail, thanks to you. Keep up the good work.

Our Pelican Rapids Community Fish Fry was our most successful to date.

The night before, we were in Pelican Rapids, MN for our 3rd Community Fish Fry. The turnout was incredible. Local organizers were hoping for 40 to 50 people. There were 90-100 people there. So many that we ran out of fish. We talked about public investment leading to public good. We talked about health care, education, agriculture, labor, & more. In short, we talked about real problems real people face in their daily lives. My favorite part was the individual conversations taking place organically before the food was served. You could see people connecting with neighbors & strangers alike. One attendee, who was from the other side of the aisle, summed up the event this way; “Being at this event was great. Seeing how the community came together to talk and listen to concerns was heart warming and hopeful. There was no anti this or that.”

The McLeod County DFL Labor Day Picnic in Hutchinson, MN was a huge success. Many thanks to local chair Lisa Scholerman and her team for putting together a great event, the food was delicious. Special thanks to Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL Rural Campaigns Director Joe Shepherd & CD7 Chair Jen Cronin for being there and speaking. I met a veteran named Charly Markert. We had a nice long chat and he seemed genuinely excited about our campaign. I asked him if he knew about "V" for Victory, "Heck yeah!" he said. There were quite a few people there who we were connecting with for the 2nd or 3rd time. More importantly, we got to make new connections as well. Fantastic to see the tent growing bigger. Keep showing up western Minnesota & keep sharing your stories.

Our schedule will get a little lighter over the next six to seven weeks. Most of our in-person activity will have to happen on the weekends as I juggle work, campaigning & coaching football. Doesn’t mean we are stopping. Just means we are adapting.