Update from Wadena, MN

win the day

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 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. 

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.

Click here to register to take an action and caucus for Erik

Events 

Dec. 17th - meet-n-greet/fundraiser in Little Falls

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

Feb. 3rd - Caucus for Erik - District wide.

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

Please share our announcement video.

Help fuel our campaign