Minnesota

Minnesota House candidates vie for 8A seat

Published

2 years ago

September 18, 2024

Press Room

Minnesota House candidates vie for 8A seat

DULUTH — The race to fill

former Rep. Liz Olson’s District 8A seat

in the Minnesota House heated up on Tuesday as the candidates answered questions in a debate hosted by the News Tribune and Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce at The Garden in Canal Park.

Both candidates leaned into their backgrounds in public service as evidence of their fitness for the office.

Pete Johnson

has been a firefighter for 23 years, 19 of those in Duluth. He’s been the union officer for the Local 101 firefighters union for the past 16 years. He said his experiences “responding to folks when they’re at their most vulnerable times” is a big driver for his political perspective.

Mark McGrew

is a lifelong Duluthian, born and raised in the Piedmont Heights neighborhood. He retired last spring after 28 years in law enforcement, 24 with the Minnesota State Patrol. He’s also a Navy Reserve veteran. He said he brings experience with “meeting people at difficult times,” and he’s running to “hold the government fiscally responsible” as his top priority.

Pete Johnson.

Steve Kuchera / 2020 file / Duluth Media Group

“The Legislature last session spent $17.5 billion in a matter of five months,” McGrew said. “I think we need to be able to curb spending and bring it down, which will hopefully help with inflation.”

Johnson’s top priorities are to “focus on the core issues tied to housing, education, health care and paying jobs.”

“A lot of the things we get called to are rooted somewhere else. … They’re not something I can solve in a couple of minutes,” Johnson said. “I really feel focusing on those four key pieces will lift everybody out, including those who are in the middle class and folks on the margins.”

Both agreed that they could work to foster bipartisanship based on their experiences. Both served as negotiators for contracts with their public safety organizations and said the skills earned there would help them compromise as representatives. Both candidates were disappointed with the lack of a bonding bill from the last legislative session and said they’d support one in the next session.

Regarding education investment, McGrew stated he supported funding education, though not at the risk of seeing the state going into deficit, but that “we need to bring local control back to the school districts.”

“Let the local school boards handle that money and use it however they feel,” McGrew said.

Johnson agreed with funding education, which he said has been “chronically underfunded for decades.”

“Even with the investments made in the last few years, they’re still underfunded,” Johnson said.

Both candidates agreed on the existence of a housing crisis but cited different causes. Johnson served on the Center City Housing Corp. for nine years.

“It’s more than just units,” he said. “It’s the support that’s tied to those units, such as mental health, physical health support, child care, a controlled door for 24 hours. That has a huge impact on those folks remaining stably housed.”

McGrew said the issue is more closely related to the high cost of homes, high property taxes and over-regulation.

“I think we need to deregulate some of the housing things and move forward from there to let people buy cheaper houses,” McGrew said.

When it comes to population growth or lack thereof, McGrew said the state’s high corporate tax rates and mandates were pushing businesses away.

“If you’re trying to attract business, and you have the highest corporate tax rate, and you have all these mandates on different companies and businesses that want to come here,” McGrew said. “Why would they come to Duluth when they could go to Superior, Wisconsin, across the bridge, and maybe have lower tax rates and lower fees and all these other things?”

Johnson said having a highly trained workforce, access to child care and accessible housing would attract population growth.

“If workers here are highly skilled and motivated, they’ll draw those businesses here, regardless of the tax rates. If we can produce those best workers and keep them here, it’s going to be a huge piece of that,” Johnson said.

When it comes to allowing

copper-nickel mining,

Johnson said the issue was about building trust.

“The folks on the labor side don’t necessarily trust the corporations to take care of their workers and that their conditions will be safe unless they have contracts in place,” Johnson said. “The folks on the clean-water side are the same way in that they want things in place to make sure that it’s done safely and, if not, that there’s money set aside to make that cleanup possible.”

McGrew said he was “absolutely in favor” of copper-nickel mining but also wants it to be “environmentally safe.”

“I was out talking to door knocking, and I ran into somebody who brought up this, and I said, ‘Do you want to do that in Minnesota, where we have regulations, we have OSHA, and probably the highest working standards around?’” McGrew said. “Would you rather have that done in Africa or child workers being used and no regulation? The person said they’d rather see it done here where we can monitor it.”

McGrew said he did not support abortion and that he wished there was a Roe v. Wade standard in Minnesota.

“I think that where we’re at right now is that you have basically abortion … up until the point of birth. And I think that that is on the same level as North Korea and China. And I think we need to draw that back,” McGrew said.

Johnson took issue with McGrew’s statement on late-term abortions.

“The reality is that those late-term abortions make up a very tiny percent of abortions, and often when there is new information found,” Johnson said. “Such as fetal viability, the health of the mother or other issues which delayed getting treatment. I fully support everyone’s right to choose.”

Teri Cadeau is a features reporter for the Duluth News Tribune. Originally from the Iron Range, Cadeau has worked for several community newspapers in the Duluth area, including the Duluth Budgeteer News, Western Weekly, Weekly Observer, Lake County News-Chronicle, and occasionally, the Cloquet Pine Journal. When not working, she’s an avid reader, crafter, dancer, trivia fanatic and cribbage player.

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Minnesota

Where to watch Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 30

Published

38 minutes ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

Where to watch Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 30

The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.

The MLB action continues on Saturday as the Minnesota Twins visit the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates?

First pitch between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, May 30.

How to watch Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

Matchup: MIN at PIT
Date: Saturday, May 30
Time: 4:05 p.m. (ET)
Venue: PNC Park
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
TV: Twins.TV and SportsNet Pittsburgh
Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo

Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for May 30 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.

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Minnesota

Minnesota DFL Convention gets underway in Rochester

Published

11 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota DFL Convention gets underway in Rochester

(ABC 6 News) — It’s a big weekend for politics in Minnesota as both the DFL and GOP conventions are getting underway.

The DFL Convention is being held in Rochester, and delegates will endorse candidates for attorney general, secretary of state, and governor on Friday night.

Current Attorney General Keith Ellison received the DFL endorsement for attorney general.

Meanwhile, endorsements for U.S. Senate will be up on Saturday.

On Sunday, delegates will be voting on who they will back for state auditor.

A big shakeup in the convention took place earlier this week with Rep. Angie Craig announcing she will not seek the DFL endorsement as she campaigns for U.S. Senate.

Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig no longer seeking DFL endorsement in Senate race

Both Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are running for the seat on the DFL side.

This U.S. Senate seat is open after current Sen. Tina Smith announced she will not be running for reelection.

Senator Tina Smith will not seek reelection in 2026

As for the gubernatorial race, Sen. Amy Klobuchar is expected to receive the DFL endorsement on Friday night. ABC 6 News is at the convention, and we will have the latest updates throughout the weekend both on air and online.

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Minnesota

The midterms loom as another chance for Minnesota to set an example for the nation

Published

23 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

The midterms loom as another chance for Minnesota to set an example for the nation

by Tom Mohr, MinnPost
May 29, 2026

How often history turns on the courage and conviction of a desperate few.

Consider Ukraine. Consider Minnesota.

Two peoples. Different arenas. Yet in the crucible, each faced the same demand: defend your own and save democracy — or lose both.

And the people answered yes.

Ukraine has shown the world what it takes to fight an authoritarian force from without: courage, ingenuity, self-sacrifice, stamina. A love of country so great that a whole people has willingly suffered years of war rather than bow to tyranny.

Minnesota has shown the world what it takes to resist authoritarian force from within: moral clarity, peaceful and creative mass action, legal resistance, public witness, democratic solidarity. A love of neighbor so deep that fear, winter and even bloodshed could not empty the streets or silence the whistles.

The lesson is the same in both places: Democracy is fragile. It cannot save itself. It survives grave threat only when ordinary people decide that comfort and normalcy must give way to the defense of freedom.

Minnesota: This past winter, we awakened America.

We showed millions that hate can be defeated by love, tyranny by unity, and anti-democratic machinations by the disciplined courage of a free people. We did it, in the words of Bruce Springsteen, with “our blood and bones and these whistles and phones” — and with them, we stirred the conscience of a nation.

But Minnesota: We must awaken America again.

For the midterms loom.

Our winter fight was one skirmish in a much broader battle. Across this nation, the assault on our constitutional republican democracy continues unabated. Free and fair elections are under attack. The rule of law is under attack. The separation of powers is under attack. The free press, freedom of speech and the right to protest without intimidation are under attack.

So the question rings out: Who will stoke the fire of resistance? Who will stand again for democracy? Who will bring America back to the streets, and from the streets to the ballot box in November?

Minnesota, let it be us.

Doubt not that our president, his administration, and his Republican Party are working in lockstep to bend our free republic toward tyranny. They advance by pressure, threat, intimidation, distortion and the steady bending of rules. Watch them gerrymander where they can. Restrict voting where they can. Flood the zone with lies. Attack election workers. Pre-poison trust in outcomes.

All to make us feel powerless. Isolated. Afraid.

We cannot let that happen. We must rise again, Minnesota; we must lead America again — all the way to the ballot box.

Let this be our next Minnesota miracle.

Because we cannot lose this election. We must win. Not narrowly. Not barely. We must win so decisively that no trick can overcome it, so broadly that no lie can explain it away, so clearly that America’s birthright is reclaimed — and the long journey of healing can begin.

Our part is to flip Minnesota’s two most reachable red congressional districts — the First and Eighth. We will do it by forging a grand coalition:

Minnesota Blue joined with Minnesota Middle.

Let’s be clear: In Minnesota and across the nation, it will not be enough simply to turn out the blue base. A victory large enough to overcome every trick, lie, and scheme will require the middle.

And the middle can be won.

Not by asking people to abandon every conviction they hold. Not by asking conservatives to become liberals, or independents to become Democrats. But by helping our neighbors see the stakes clearly: this is not an ordinary election, to be decided by ordinary policy preferences or old party habits.

This is a democracy election.

And in a democracy election, the question is not: Which party do I usually prefer?

The question is: Which vote will best preserve our constitutional republican democracy?

Minnesota, it’s on us to build on the moral authority we won this winter. To show the nation the way: Blue and middle, hand in hand.

Democrats. Independents. Disillusioned Republicans. People of faith. People of conscience. Veterans. Students. Teachers. Nurses. Farmers. Union workers. Small-business owners. Parents, grandparents and first-time voters.

All gathered around one sacred civic duty: to defend the republic.

With whistle parades and coffee meetups, voter registration drives and neighbor-to-neighbor conversations, let us organize. Not only in Minneapolis and St. Paul. In Rochester, Duluth, Mankato, Winona, the Iron Range, and in Olmsted, Blue Earth, Steele, Freeborn, Carlton, Itasca, St. Louis and Beltrami counties.

Let us go to college towns and mining towns, lake country and Trump country — wherever blue voters must be reawakened, and wherever voters who have voted red may yet prove to be members of the vast quiet middle, ready to hear the call of democracy.

This is our hour, Minnesota.

Let not our whistles go silent. Let not our streets stay empty. Let not the blue base grow weary. Let not the middle go unreached.

Organize. Mobilize. Work. And win.

Win by a margin no scheme can defeat.

Toward that end, may we Minnesotans highly resolve anew:

“That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Tom Mohr is founder and CEO of CEO Quest, a CEO coaching company; author of “Letters to Rising Leaders”; and creator of the “We The Middle Vote” substack (WeTheMiddleVote.substack.com).

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