“November 3, 2026 is a day in which we need to deliver the largest electoral defeat of a sitting president in history of Minnesota elections,” said Carlbom. “We believe that if you organize, you can win anywhere. This election will come down to two fundamental things. First, if our candidates don’t start the conversation about fixing the affordability crisis in this country and end the conservation with that, we won’t win. American people are under massive pressure because of affordability. Donald Trump and Republicans promised to fix it on day one. What did they do? They made it worse.”

Carlbom said Republican Congressman Brad Finstad of New Ulm recently voted for President Trump’s tariffs on Canada.

“(DFL Congressional challenger) Jake Johnson is going to be the one who takes this challenge on,” said Carlbom. “Minnesotans want someone to fix the affordability crisis. The retribution campaign Minnesotans have been feeling from Trump for a year will be the other issue. Every time he has waged a retribution campaign against us, whether is needed funding for food support that people need or perpetuating lies about Melissa Hortman’s assassination, or sending 3,000 ICE (Immigration and customs enforcement) agents to Minnesota to terrorize and create chaos.”

Carlbom said people in this state have seen a five-year-old being detained and videos of ICE agents violating laws and constitutional rights.

Staff photo by Fritz Busch District 15 Senate candidate Andrea Boettger of New Ulm said he wants to work on the disconnect between Twin Cities metro democrats and rural democrats in Minnesota.

Brown County DFL Chairperson Lori Sellner read an outreach and inclusion statement.

“The DFL seeks to end discrimination and bigotry in all its forms and to inspire broad participation in our party,” said Sellner. “We will take affirmative steps to raise the participation numbers of all under-represented communities.”

DFL District 18 Sen. Nick Frentz of North Mankato, the Senate DFL Campaign Chairman who is seeking another term in office, told supporters to “buckle up. We’re going to have to work our butts off. We will do that to deliver DFL wins up and down the ballot. We have some sensational DFL candidates. We can talk about the terrible things Republicans have done, adding tariffs that are crippling our farmers and sent troops in our cities that killed U.S. citizens.”

He said he has worked with Second District Congressional candidate Angie Craig on things southern Minnesota voters care about like bio fuels and public safety.

Craig talked about getting out of trade wars and immigration.

“We all know what we’re fighting right now. We’re fighting an authoritarian in the White House. We’re fighting armed, masked, out-of-control ICE agents in our neighborhoods,” she said. “I’ve been fighting my whole life. I was born in a mobile home park, raised by my mom and grandmother. My grandfather lost his job in the 1985 farm crisis. I’ve been head of the ag committee for all House Democrats because they elected me. I will go everywhere and talk to everyone.”

First District Congressional candidate Jake Johnson of Rochester said he grew up in a working class household in Stewartville with 10 siblings.

“We were a SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Medicaid family. I would not have finished college without Pell Grants and subsidized loans,” he said. “I’ve been teaching high school math for the last 20 years.”

He said the American experience should be available to everyone.

“Affordability is the issue. Congress has failed us on this. Healthcare is confusing, complicated and too expensive. We’ve got to fix it,” said Johnson. “When I heard about the Big Beautiful Bill that handed the largest amount of money in our nation’s history, working class money to the Epstein class, I knew enough is enough. Join us if you will to send this administration back to the dust bin of history, where it belongs.”

District 15 candidate Andrea Boettger of New Ulm thanked people for coming out. The New Ulm City Council president and Turner Hall Executive Director, she filed for election for the Minnesota Senate seat now held by Gary Dahms of Redwood Falls, who recently announced he will not seek re-election this fall.

Boettger talked about why she is running for office. She current serves on the board of directors for the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, co-chair on the Taxation and Local Government Aid Committee and is Region Nine Development Commission Vice Chairwoman of the Legislative and Communications Committees.

“I’ve been what has been happening to rural democratic representation in Minnesota over the past 20 years,” she said. “I feel there is a disconnect between Twin Cities metro democrats and rural democrats. I plan to advocate and listen to what the issues are in rural communities. I’ve listened and learned a lot about childcare, broadband not coming fast enough, education and housing.”

She said she enjoys volunteering, reading, lap swimming and attending her son’s sporting events.