the big mo’
Momentum is a thing. It is a by-product of speed and mass. I believe it is safe to say this campaign has momentum, or “the big mo,” coming off last week. We’ve been operating at a frantic pace for 17 months, and this movement continues to grow. Farmfest was a pivotal moment for us this week. The Congressional Candidate forum on Tuesday was the first opportunity voters had to see myself and our current Congressperson side by side. In fact, I was seated between Rep. Fischbach (MN07) & Rep. Stauber (MN08). I maintained my composure and believe I gave informed, accurate & passionate responses. There was an energy in that building, and we brought it. I could see purple shirts scattered through that crowd, & it made a difference. I’ll let other folks score the day, but I believe it’s safe to say I held my own up there. You can watch the forum here, scroll to the 40 minute mark.
Our next big opportunity to create even MORE momentum is the primary election. We do need our supporters to vote in the primary as there is another name on the ballot. It’s not a tremendous threat as Steve (the other name on the ballot) hasn’t been campaigning (other than trolling me on Twitter). But some folks haven’t heard of either of us and will basically be flipping a coin. If you live in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District, please vote OSBERG in the primary. Our hope is that we establish another indicator of strength with high turnout.
The odometer now reads over 39,000 miles & tomorrow is Primary Day. Grab a friend, grab a neighbor & go vote. I believe we can do better.
If you believe that too & are wondering how you can help, here are some actions you can take.
- Phonebank for Primaries! Help us get out the vote for Erik!
- Donate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/erik-osberg
- Write postcards.
- Talk to your neighbors
- Forward this email to a friend.
- Put up a yard sign.
Get Involved – https://www.erikosberg4congress.com/get-involved/
The Road Ahead
Festivals, county fairs, fish frys, parades, phonebanks, doorknocks and more. Our summer is jam packed with events. Hope you can find one (or more) to attend! Keep an eye on this space each week or for more info or visit our website events page. Events with links are to sign up via Mobilize:
- Now Until the Primary – Purple People Powered Primary Phone Bank(Virtual) – Help us get out the vote!
- Today! August 10 – Moorhead Mondays with Team Osberg
- Today! August 10 – Doorknock with Erik’s Team in Watkins
- Tuesday, August 11 – PRIMARY DAY! Grab a friend, neighbor, help us get out the vote!
- Tuesday, August 11 – Turnout Tuesday with Team Erik (Virtual)
- Tuesday, August 11 – Norman County Fish Fry Town Hall (Ada)
- Wednesday, August 12 – Working Families Picnic (Moorhead)
- Thursday, August 13 – DFL Unity Rally
- Thursday, August 13 – Otter Tail DFL Annual Picnic
- Friday, August 14 – Doorknock in Windom
- Saturday, August 15 – Walk with Erik in the Ox Cart Torchlight Parade(Crookston)
- Saturday, August 15 – Windmill Days Parade
- Saturday, August 15 – Prairie Day Parade
- Saturday, August 15 – Harvest Festival Parade
- Sunday, August 16 – Working Families DFL Picnic (Morrison)
- Sunday, August 16 – House Party with Erik in Glenwood
- Monday, August 17 – Yellow Medicine County Fish Fry Town Hall (Granite Falls)
A Look Back
39,000 miles and counting…
That number represents something. It’s not just a stat. It’s 38 counties. It’s every town I’ve driven through, every door I’ve knocked on, every conversation I’ve had with a farmer worried about consolidation, a teacher stretched too thin, a veteran who came home to fewer opportunities.
These miles mean I’ve actually listened. I’ve sat in diners & at kitchen tables & on front porches across Western Minnesota. I’ve heard what’s broken & what’s possible. I’ve watched people’s faces when they talk about their kids, their farms, their communities.
That’s the only way you run for Congress in a district like ours. You show up. You drive the distance. You prove with your presence that you actually care about every county, every town, every neighbor.
We’re not done. We’ve got more miles ahead. But every single one matters because behind each mile is a person who matters, a story that matters, a community that matters.
That’s what this campaign is built on. Not promises from Washington. Real relationships built on real presence.
We can do better when we actually show up.
I stopped by the Stearns County Fair in Sauk Centre last weekend. More productive conversations with voters in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District. Got to catch up with MN State House candidate Michael Gardner (12B). He and his Team are doing good work. Huge thanks to the local DFL unit for all they do.
Multipliers.
One of the FAQ’s I get is “How can we win?” My response is we build relationships at scale in all 38 counties in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District. Furthermore, those relationships need to be transformative rather than transactional.
Last week I stopped at the Meeker County Fair in Litchfield then spent a few hours in a backyard in Hutchinson (McLeod County). My new ask is for people to become “multipliers.” If everyone who supports this campaign could talk to just 10 people they know about the importance of this election, we can leverage old fashioned word of mouth marketing. There were roughly 50 people in attendance at this house party. If everyone talked with 10 people, 50 turns into 500. I don’t have the official math, but I believe it is safe to say I’ve met roughly 10,000 people face-to-face over the past 17 months. If you do the math, those 10,000 relationships could be multiplied to 100,000 pretty easy.
Huge thanks to everyone who showed up to visit yesterday & huge thanks to our hosts.
I drove up to Warren, MN last Monday (Marshall County) to listen in on a Farmers Town Hall at CHS. According to their website they are a “leading global agribusiness and the largest farmer-owned cooperative in the United States”. There was a ton of valuable information ranging from energy supply status (fuel), updates on fertilizer markets, a general update on CHS as an organization, and a presentation about the current commodity markets by one of their Senior Analysts.
It brought me back to my days as a financial advisor. Charts showing historical trends and current conditions. Here were my takeaways.
- Oil/fuel inventories are lower
- even if disruption ended today, normal supply would not return until 2027
- farmers shouldn’t expect phosphate pricing to improve any time soon
- China is the wildcard, will they buy the amount of product they said they would
- no enforcement mechanism for the trade agreement reached
- Chinese Gov’t still has not officially acknowledged trade agreement
- export headwinds allow competing nations to gain market share
- planning uncertainty & market volatility remain
- E-15 & ethanol are reasons for optimism
It’s no secret the tariffs have had a negative impact on the agriculture industry. But it goes beyond that. Short term, if we could end the chaos of “headline roulette” that would be an improvement. Long term, we need policy that breaks down trade barriers worldwide & creates domestic demand. In other words, the strongest markets are demand led.
As your Congressperson, I would pledge to treat farmer’s business like a business. At the same time, I would work to restore the United States as a reliable trade partner in a global market. Our farmers work harder than most realize. We have the ability to feed the world and protect livelihoods along the way.
Wow. Just wow. Ya’all showed up today at Farmfest. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
The CD 6, 7 & 8 Forum was truly amazing. I’m humbled by the support & believe it is safe to say I held my own on that stage. Some might even say we won the day.
It was a great way to give voters an opportunity to compare and contrast with our current Congressperson.
Want to watch the full forum? You can view it here: https://www.farmfest.com/congressional-farmfest-forum-6-7-8/
You can also read the clear difference between us on trade, tariffs & agriculture showed up at FarmFest last week.
Fischbach defended the Trump administration’s tariffs & USDA reorganization. I pushed back. Hard.
The question I closed with says it all: Are farmers better off today than they were two years ago?
The answer matters. Congress has the power to stand up against unconstitutional tariffs. Article I, Section 8 gives that power to us—not the President. It’s time we used it.
Read the full story: https://www.agweek.com/news/policy/fischbach-defends-tariffs-usda-shakeup-as-challenger-osberg-pushes-back-at-farmfest
The MN DFL Senate District 15 Corn Feed was the perfect way to cap off a couple of VERY productive days in the southern portion of Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District. I believe it is safe to say we have even more momentum coming out of Farmfest than we had going into it. Now it is up to us to run with it.
This was the 20th annual SD 15 Corn Feed. I attended my 1st one in 2025 when this campaign was 5 months old. Last night featured a star studded lineup of candidates with roughly 200 people in attendance. Huge thanks to everyone who showed their support by sporting our purple shirts. Huge thanks to the organizers and everyone else who put in the work to make the event happen. Huge thanks to the “multipliers” like Diane who are helping get the word out about this campaign. I met Diane at this very same event in 2025, and she’s become a big part of this quest.
Upsala Heritage Day Parade. This is where it all started for me, my hometown.
There’s something special about marching in a parade where everyone knows your family. Where the people cheering you on watched you grow up. Where community isn’t a talking point. It’s just how we live.
If you’re in the area Saturday, come walk with us on the parade route. Or line the streets & cheer. Either way, we’d love to see you there. This is about celebrating who we are & what we’re building together.
And A Little Bit Of Fun This Past Week
It was a Happy Ted Lasso Day to all those who celebrate this past week. Season 4 of the show starts now & this campaign Team couldn’t be happier.
Some people have said Erik reminds them of Coach Lasso—the positivity, the kindness, the folksyness. It’s pure coincidence that this quote is part of the show. But we’re not complaining.
“Believing that things can get better. That I can get better. That we will get better.”
That’s the work. That’s what we’re building here in CD-7.
Volunteer Spotlight – Tom Anderson
My name is Tom Anderson and I am a supporter of Erik Osberg and want to tell you why.
I was feeling upset and helpless, given what has been going on politically in our country. I have never ever been involved in politics. But I wanted to do something.
I saw that Erik Osberg had been running for the DFL endorsement for the US House seat since March 2025 and started following him on Facebook and reading his email updates. I wanted to meet this guy before I decided to support him. So, I drove 35 miles for a Meet and Greet in early December and he took lots of time to visit with
me. He made a very positive first impression. He seemed personable, genuine and positive. Talking to his wife, Jena, gave me the impression that he is a real family guy.
On New Year’s Eve afternoon, I sent him an email, asking him how I could help. I ended with “I am a better talker than typer, please call “. Half an hour later he called. That really impressed me!
I am amazed by how he has taken initiative to go to all 38 counties many times to learn what the needs of his constituents are; not to mention the effort and time that takes. He is extremely dedicated and hardworking!
He really wants to make things better and wants to do it together with the people of district 7. He reaches out to others. He is genuine. He has strong values and is caring and reasonable. He is an effective leader.
He wants to restore the balance of power and defend the constitution. He wants to defuse the division in the country and is willing to work with everyone. He wants to get big money out of politics. He wants to support farmers and rural communities. He believes that healthcare is a right for everyone. He wants public education to be fully funded. He promises to take the high road.
He is someone I can identify with. I hope you will support him.
Our Core Priorities / Healthcare & Education
Our team started rolling out shareable snippets around our top priorities a few weeks ago. You can find them on our Facebook and Instagram pages and we’d love to see you sharing them with your friends and neighbors. It’s a great way to let people know what we stand for.
This week we featured Healthcare and Education. Here’s the links: Healthcare (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1L9TCJPF8C/), Education (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DhnK1qhAi/)
FISH FRY TOWN HALL TOUR
We’re on a mission to break bread in every county across CD-7. We’ve already been to several, & by the time we’re done, we’ll have hit all 38 counties across Western Minnesota.
Here’s why this matters: real change doesn’t happen in campaign offices. It happens when neighbors gather, share a meal, & have honest conversations about what needs to get better.
So we’re bringing the Fish Fry Town Hall Tour to you. Free-will donation. All are welcome, regardless of who you voted for last time. We’re not here to convince you—we’re here to listen.
Make a plan to attend. Bring a neighbor. Bring a friend. Bring someone you disagree with. That’s how we build something real.
These aren’t rallies. They’re conversations. They’re community. They’re how we actually do better for Western Minnesota.
Find the Fish Fry Town Hall coming to your county: erikosberg.com/fishfry
See you there.
Visit our swag store!
All our products are union-made right here in the U.S.A.! Go to store.erikosberg4congress.com to place your order today. You can also find the link on our website erikosberg.com
Orders will ship in 1-2 weeks. You should get a receipt when your order is placed and a tracking number once your order is shipped. Orders are considered a campaign donation, so be mindful of the $3,500 limit per individual. ✌
Our swag store is open: store.erikosberg4congress.com
Actions you can take
We’re committed to investing our campaign dollars into people power. We now have 6 full-time staffers and Erik himself has put on over 37,000 miles in our efforts. Your financial support can help us secure more boots on the ground. Please give what you can today: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/erik-osberg
We have well over 600 volunteers already signed up, and we always have room for more. Join the movement to help us Do Better: https://www.erikosberg4congress.com/get-involved
