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Blog Posts (19)

  • A Message of Gratitude from the DFL Rural Caucus

    As we reflect on this election season, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of our endorsed candidates. Your hard work, dedication, and passion for serving your communities have been truly inspiring. Win or lose, your efforts have brought important issues to the forefront and strengthened the voice of rural Minnesota. Thank you for stepping up, leading with courage, and working tirelessly to make a difference. Together, we continue to build a brighter future for all Minnesotans. With gratitude, The DFL Rural Caucus

  • Jen Schultz Op Ed: A better way forward is investing in people, our communities

    Read More Here   I’m very concerned about the future of our country. I am the only viable candidate in this race who will uphold the Constitution, protect liberty, and fight for our rights. We need a strong Congress as a check on executive and judicial powers. I promise to bring meaningful investments to our region and, as an economist, I will focus on tax fairness and fixing our economy so it works for everyone. I’ll represent working people, not corporate interests or political parties.   I’m a mother of two teenage boys. My husband is a criminologist. My grandparents were farmers. I grew up in a small township. My mother raised me and my older sister after divorcing my father (a firefighter, paramedic, and Vietnam veteran) due to his alcoholism. I started working at age 14 parking cars at the county fair, then at a restaurant and grocery store. I know what it’s like to work hard and still struggle to pay bills. I was lucky to get a scholarship and government loan to attend college. I’m a proud graduate of the University of Minnesota.   I have a proven track record of getting things done in a divided government where no party had total control while representing Duluth in the state Legislature. I advanced measures improving access to affordable health care, reducing drug prices, and expanding coverage for telehealth. I closed corporate tax loopholes to make our tax system more fair. I was successful in securing millions of dollars in bonding projects, including the Essentia hospital and St. Luke’s-Aspirus medical district. As a Great Lakes commissioner, I advocated for federal funds to clean up the St. Louis River and to address invasive species.   It's the most chaotic and unproductive Congress in history. Rep. Pete Stauber is part of this by aligning with an extremist faction and corporate interests. He signed the lawsuit attempting to invalidate the 2020 election and voted against investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Stauber is a member of the Republican Study Committee , which supports restricting Social Security and Medicare . Stauber voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which brought jobs and billions in funding for the Blatnik Bridge, roads, lead-line replacement, water treatment, airport improvements, and broadband. Yet, he didn’t hesitate to take credit. Stauber voted against domestic manufacturing (CHIPS Act), against access to contraception, against helping veterans exposed to toxins, against funding law enforcement, against affordable child care, against limiting use of PFAS, against capping the price of insulin, against funding for Ukraine, against a Republican bill lowering health care prices, against labor rights, and against voting rights. He supported an amendment reducing funding to district public schools by $6 million and sponsored a bill preventing access to IVF treatment.   Stauber has failed to deliver for our region. Despite being in office five years, he has passed only two of his bills into law: naming a post office and starting a task force. Stauber’s inability to work with others has resulted in missed economic-development and job opportunities. Stauber blames others and complains about issues he should be solving, including border security.   Stauber doesn’t show up. A town hall he hosted about delisting the wolf divided two groups, the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and Hunters for Hunters. He should be spending more time in his own district and hosting in-person town halls so he can listen to folks he’s supposed to represent.   Stauber also ranks near the top for missed votes in Congress (top 11%) and has by far the most missed votes in Minnesota’s congressional delegation.   I will prioritize affordable housing, health care, child care, jobs, education, small businesses, climate resiliency, border security, and safe communities. I will protect veterans, Social Security, Medicare, tribal sovereignty, and our rights. I will fight to keep our rural health care facilities open. I will be a leader for responsible mining. I will listen, work across party lines, put country above party, fight for working families, deliver results, and be on your side.   There is a better way forward and a future where we improve lives by investing in people and in our communities. I ask for your vote in the Aug. 13 primary and Nov. 5 election.   -- Jen Schultz, Democratic candidate for Minnesota's 8th District

  • DFL Rural Caucus Proudly Endorses Mark Munger for Minnesota State House in District 3B

    Duluth, MN - The Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Rural Caucus is honored to announce its endorsement of Mark Munger for the Minnesota State House in District 3B. With a distinguished career in law, public service, and community involvement, Mark Munger brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to serving the people of District 3B. Born in St. Paul but raised in Duluth from a young age, Mark Munger has deep roots in the community. He graduated with honors from Duluth Denfeld High School, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and the William Mitchell College of Law. With a background as a trial attorney from 1981 to 1998, including serving as Proctor City Attorney for 14 years, Munger has a proven track record of advocating for justice and upholding the law. In 1998, Mark Munger was elected as a Judge and served in that capacity until January 2019. He continued to contribute to the legal system as a senior judge during the pandemic. Munger's commitment to public service extends beyond the courtroom as he is actively involved in the community as the Co-Executive Director of Grace ELCA in Hermantown and serving on the Voyageurs Scout Council Advancement Committee. Mark Munger's extensive experience, commitment to justice, and dedication to community service make him a strong candidate for the Minnesota State House. The DFL Rural Caucus stands behind Mark Munger and encourages voters to support him in the upcoming election. Learn more about Mark at mark4mn.com ###

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  • Home | Minnesota DFL Rural Caucus

    The mission of the DFL Rural Caucus is to embody and strengthen the relationship between Minnesota’s Rural Community and the DFL Party. Home: Welcome STAND UP AND JOIN US IN Fighting for Rural Minnesotans Become a Member Take Action Donate Welcome to the DFL Rural Caucus The DFL Rural Caucus delivers DFL values in rural communities - comprehensive health care for working families, world-class K-12/pre-K education, reproductive rights, support for beginning and family farmers, support for vital main street businesses, and border-to-border broadband. We advance these values through voter engagement, outreach, and work to elect DFL candidates supporting Rural Minnesota priorities. Our Caucus Our Leaders Legislative Action Voter Info Get Involved Get involved and make a difference in rural Minnesota by volunteering, canvassing, attending events, or even considering running for office. The more rural Democrats actively engage and participate, the stronger and more effective our movement becomes. Join us and let's shape the future of our communities together. Take Action Support the Rural Caucus Take Action Register to vote in time for Election Day Button Take Action Stay in the loop with updates and info Take Action Become a member of the Rural Caucus THE ACTION CENTER See Every Way to Get Involved Take Action Get the Latest KEEP UP WITH THE RURAL CAUCUS Stay informed with all the Latest News and social activity on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . A Message of Gratitude from the DFL Rural Caucus Visit the News Center Email List Stay in Touch First Name Last Name Email Zip Code Subscribe Thanks for subscribing!

  • Connections Lab Training | DFL Rural Caucus

    How to Craft Effective DFL Messaging for Rural Impact Register Now Sponsored by the DFL Rural Caucus in partnership with National Messaging experts from Connections Lab, George & Lisa Greene and Antonia Scatton Suggested Donation for Registration: $30 per student or $100 per unit (4 students). Classes will be recorded and made available to attendees. This is an online workshop through Zoom. Classes will be held on February 25, March 25, April 22, and May 27 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm CST. This four-part virtual workshop will teach you how to find the value in the message and frame it for more meaningful and productive conversations that have a lasting impact on your audience. Based on field-tested and proven cognitive science research, this series of dynamic webinars is designed to equip rural Democrats with the tools, strategies, and skills needed to amplify our values and expand our influence within rural communities. Participants will gain: Effective Messaging Techniques: Learn how to communicate in a new way that resonates with rural voters, enabling them to internalize our worldview and use it to evaluate policies. This training will focus on making complex ideas relatable and accessible. Community Building for Local Organizers: Discover strategies to foster a strong sense of community within local units. This will empower organizers to draw in more supporters, build momentum, and activate local networks to spread the message. Messaging for Candidates and Elected Officials: Ensure that local candidates and current officeholders feel confident and equipped to align their messaging with our broader strategy, fostering consistency and unity in communication. Strategic Messaging for Key Rural Issues: Develop a comprehensive messaging plan for five critical rural issues, ensuring that the message is clear, compelling, and aligned with local needs and values. Optional Online Discussion Group: An optional space for participants to continue the conversation, share best practices, and exchange lessons learned from the webinars, ensuring ongoing collaboration and improvement. By the end of the series, rural Democrats will be empowered to shape the political narrative in their communities, create meaningful change, and drive collective action for a better future. While this training is not designed to give students a list of exact messages, it will give them a foundation so they can create messaging on any issue that cuts through and connects with whomever they are speaking with. Meet Your Teachers George F. Greene has trained thousands of Democrats in the practice of framing in Minnesota and around the U.S. and has worked in media, political messaging, and activist training for decades. He founded the Connections Lab hosting on-location and online training sessions for Democratic activists. They’ve trained candidates and organizers through partnerships with multiple state organizations including the Minnesota DFL and Missouri, Michigan, Washington, and Georgia State Democratic parties. George has been active in Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and is a long-standing member of the State Central Committee. His work as Chair of MN Congressional District 3 helped make it consistently a national leader in voter contact and voter turnout. Learn more about Connections Lab here: https://connectionslab.org/ In 2023, they joined forces with Antonia Scatton to create the Turnaround Project, a joint project of the Association of State Democratic Committees. For more than 25 years, Antonia has been behind the scenes, working for, training, and advising political campaigns, party committees, and advocacy organizations across the country. She is an expert in political messaging and framing. She studied cognitive linguistics with messaging guru and best-selling author, George Lakoff, and worked closely with him for more than a year to develop practical ways for people to apply his discoveries about the science of messaging in their day-to-day work. Read Antonia’s “Reframing America” Substack here: https://reframingamerica.substack.com/ TESTIMONIAL: 2024 Minnesota Election and How This Messaging Worked in the Field In October of the 2024 cycle, Antonia came to Minnesota and worked closely with the Rachel Bohman for Congress (MN01) campaign to develop and employ strategic messaging. Building off Antonia’s research and work with focus groups, she guided the Bohman team in developing a message around the economy. See this piece for the basic premise of this messaging The Bohman campaign began using this message (almost exclusively) in early October. In every situation, the response was immediate and transformative. Voters at the doors were in tears and told the campaign “that they’d never felt so understood”. Staunch Republicans would immediately agree with the messaging and at one Farm Bureau event, an older, very Republican farmer came up to Rachel and told her he couldn’t wait to tell his son what she’d just said. At a large candidate forum, the waitress at the venue started crying – and sought the candidate out afterwards – when Rachel used this messaging during her speech . This messaging created a connection with the voter which led to a better conversation and created a point of shared values and agreement. As we’ve since heard from nearly every national pundit, focusing on the economy should’ve been our topline message. The Bohman campaign truly feels that this messaging “cracked the code”.

  • 2024 Endorsed Candidates: Jean Lee

    Jean Lee is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 54B < Back Jean Lee MN House of Representatives House District 54B MBA, PhD, legal studies. Found/co-found businesses/nonprofits. Fmr Fortune 500 corporate auditor, financial executive. Family history of US veterans & military service since the 1900s (WWI, WWII, other). Mission serving country/state/people continues by improving policies & conditions so businesses & people thrive. US Congress’ & United Nations’ Young People’s Congress educator/planner. Intl. training of students for future captains of industry and world leaders. Sponsored some now for-profit companies. Numerous boards, commissions, councils, task forces at local/state/national levels. USDOJ 1st Responder for US President/Governors. Worked on 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, 35W Bridge Disaster. Lee4mnhouse@gmail.com Donate Website

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