Over 100 people gathered on a Stearns County Dairy farm to share what is on their hearts & minds.
on to the general
With the Primary election in the rearview mirror, we are now officially on the ballot come November. I wanted to say “THANK YOU” to everyone who helped make this happen. This movement started with 5 people. My wife, my dad, a campaign manager, a treasurer, and myself. Others, like you, have joined in this quest to flip Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District. We’ve come a long way and we’ve done it differently. As of Sunday night, I’ve put on 40,196 miles meeting people where they are at. There’s no shortcut version of a 38-county district. You either drive it or you don’t.
The not-so-good news is we still have a long way to go & a short time to get there. The midterms will be here before we know it. The good news is there already a ton of people who are taking action. Many hands make for light work. Over the next 2.5 months we need to knock on more doors, make more phone calls, and shake more hands than ever before. At a recent event, I summoned the words of someone much wiser than me. “I’m asking you to believe. Not in my ability to create change, but in yours.” (Barack Obama)
If you are willing & able, below are some ways you can create the change you seek.
- Sign Up to participate in our goal to knock 38,000 doors and become a member of the 38 Door Club – more details blow.
- 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:
- Today! August 17 – Doorknock in Ortonville
- Today! August 17 – Moorhead Mondays
- Today! August 17 – Fish Fry Town Hall – Granite Falls
- Tuesday, August 18 – Working Families DFL Picnic – Olivia
- Thursday, August 20 – House Party – Fergus Falls
- Friday, August 21 – Douglas County Fair, Alexandria
- Saturday, August 22 – McLeod County Fair, Hutchinson
- Saturday, August 22 – Sounds of Summer Parade, Marshall
- Sunday, August 23 – Cornfest Parade – Ortonville
A Look Back
A special thank you to my wife.
This has been quite the journey and I want to take a moment to recognize the ONE person who keeps this crazy quest going… my wife Jena.
None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for her support. When I first mentioned this idea to her back in December 2024, she was hesitant to say the least. Eventually, she recognized the need for someone to pave a different path to a different outcome. My wife and our 3 kids have sacrificed a lot over the last 17 months. Grateful they are willing to tolerate so much.
Meeting neighbors across the district
I visited the Kandiyohi County Fair last Saturday morning. If you’ve never been, the entire fairgrounds is basically an island in Willmar. This location made me wanna go fishin’. The Kandiyohi DFL had a great booth complete with a flat Erik. I showed up early to meet with some 4H-ers. They told me about their experiences in 4H & what they’ve learned. We also talked about their future plans.
Huge thanks to Fernando Alvarado for introducing me to so many people & for the pics. Lots of re-connecting happened as well. People like Fred Gogelow, an amazing wood carver who refers to his work as “designer firewood.” Great to see MN State Senate candidate Kathy Jorgenson (SD16) too.
Kandiyohi County has been very good to us. It plays an important role in helping us flip Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District. Appreciate all the support. Mark your calendars, we will be hosting a Fish Fry Town Hall in Willmar on October 11th.
One of the reasons we wanted to do Fish Fry Town Halls is to create a sense of community in all 38 counties in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District. Last week we were in Ada, MN breaking bread with our neighbors. One of my favorite moments was meeting Annalee. She will be 100 years old in September. Another of my favorite moments came standing around the fish fryer. Just regular people, shootin’ the breeze, getting to know one another. Sampling the fish is part of “quality control.” Great to have MN State Senate candidate Bjorn Solberg (SD1) & MN State House candidate Jennifer Compeau (HD1B) there as well. Huge thanks to everyone who showed up & especially those who put in the work. Our next Fish Fry Town Hall will be in Yellow Medicine County tonight (August 17th).
I had 2 stops in Moorhead, MN last week. It started with an Ag Roundtable discussion with Sen. Rob Kupec & DFL Chair Richard Carlbom at MSUM. The trip concluded with the Clay County DFL Langseth Fundraiser at Gooseberry Park. Huge thanks to all those who keep showing up & putting in the work.
I was in Fergus Falls Thursday night for the Otter Tail County DFL summer picnic. Super solid lineup of candidates/presenters. Huge thanks to Senate District Chair Cornel Walker for MC’ing & OTC Unit Chair Betty Windon Kirsh for their hard work. MN State House candidates Owen Werner (9B) & Nicholas Hanson (9A), MN State Senate candidate Krystyne Knutson (SD9), Lt. Governor candidate Ben Schierer, and MN State Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy all gave great speeches. As did Xyola Holm & Ashley Armstrong. This was a homecoming for Ben, he was the Mayor of Fergus Falls & his family has been instrumental in revitalizing the community.
Awesome crowd, great conversations. Thanks for showing up.
We were back up north this past weekend for the Ox Cart Days Torchlight Parade. Huge thanks to the Polk County DFL & other volunteers for helping out. This was one of the friendliest parades I’ve walked/ran in. TONS of spectators too. Great to see MN State Senate Candidate Bjorn Solberg and MN House candidate Jennifer Compeau. Big thanks to Trinity, her mom Carla, and Pixel (the dog) for making the trek, and Tony P. For fixing Bjorn’s shoe. Keep up the good work everyone.
Education Endorsements
Erik has earned the endorsement of Education Minnesota, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers.
Erik’s wife Jena has been a special educator for two decades. She knows what it means to do more with less. To care about kids who need it most. To show up every single day even when the resources aren’t there.
Erik has always believed education is the great equalizer. It’s how we level the playing field for every kid, regardless of where they’re born or what their family looks like.
These organizations endorse candidates who understand that public education isn’t a luxury. It’s a foundation. Erik is committed to protecting & expanding federal funding for our schools, especially in rural places where the squeeze is real.
Education Minnesota, the NEA, and the AFT recognize that commitment. We’re honored to have their support.
We can do better.
Lessons from the road
At FarmFest, Under Secretary of US Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Luke Lindberg, spoke right after our Congressional Candidate Forum. As other candidates left the stage, I stayed seated & listened to the entire presentation. When he finished, I shook his hand & thanked him for coming.
A buddy of mine texted me the next day: “Just watched the candidate forum from Tuesday…. one thing REALLY stood out. The fact that you remained seated for the duration of the gentleman from the USDA’s presentation speaks volumes about you and your character!! Well done my friend!!”
Here’s what I want to say: of course I stayed. That’s what you do. Someone took time to travel and share their perspective. You sit. You listen. Even if you’re busy. Even if you might disagree. You show respect.
We’ve lost something. We’ve decided that civility is optional, that listening to someone you don’t agree with is a waste of time, that walking out sends a message.
It shouldn’t be noteworthy to just… respect people. But it is now. And that tells us something about where we are.
We can’t do better if we can’t sit with each other. We can’t solve anything if we won’t listen. We can’t heal the division if we treat disagreement like disrespect.
I’m running for Congress because I believe we need to get back to civility. To hard conversations. To actually hearing each other.
It starts with staying in the room.
Volunteer Spotlights
Nicole LeDoux is the County Captain for Becker County. She’s been with us since the early months of this campaign and shows up every single day because she believes in something bigger than herself.
Nicole gets it. She understands that representation actually has to represent the people. She’s not just volunteering. She’s building a movement. She listens to neighbors, organizes her community, and does the unglamorous work that actually wins elections.
Hard work isn’t always visible. Long hours on the phone, coordinating events, solving problems. Most people never see it. But we do. And this campaign wouldn’t be what it is without Nicole.
Thank you, Nicole, for everything you do. For your passion. For your commitment. For believing that we can do better & actually doing the work to make it happen.
We’re grateful to have you.
Our Core Priorities / Strengthen Rural Economies
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 Strengthen Rural Economies. Here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1N7LmrZCAa/
Compare & Contrast
I’ve talked a lot about the need to get corporate $ out of politics. I want to serve the people, not profit.
Just got our report card from the Political Integrity Project. Got an “A.” Our current Congressperson, not so much.
This is a people powered campaign. Let’s keep it that way.
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, and 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, and 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.
Introducing the 38 Door Club
Erik believes we can do better. And doing better starts with showing up. That’s why we’re launching the 38 Door Club: a challenge to 1,000 volunteers to each knock 38 doors, one for every county in Minnesota’s 7th District. Do the math, and that’s 38,000 doors, 38,000 conversations, across all 38 counties.
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
