PODCAST · government
Politics Friday
by Minnesota Public Radio
Weekly updates from Brian Bakst and the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom staff covering politics in Minnesota.
Episodes
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Peggy Flanagan, Michele Tafoya hold first senate debate
A new senator will emerge from Election Day no matter what because there is no incumbent on the ballot. The two major party candidates are here for their first — and possibly only — one-on-one debate. Friday at noon, the DFL Party’s nominee, Peggy Flanagan, and Republican nominee, Michele Tafoya,...
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Politics Friday Special: The places that shaped Minnesota’s U.S. Senate candidates
Editor’s note: Ahead of a Friday debate between U.S. Senate candidates Michele Tafoya and Peggy Flanagan hosted by MPR News, politics editor Brian Bakst asked each to talk about how their lives helped form their politics. On this special episode of Politics Friday, we feature conversations in a...
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An open House seat is up for grabs in Minnesota's 2nd District
Minnesota has eight members of the U.S. House and those seats don’t change hands often — but this November, one of them will for sure. Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District has is no incumbent on the ballot. The seat has been held by U.S. Rep. Angie Craig for a little under eight years. The open...
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Politics Friday: Keith Ellison, Ron Schutz appear in their first attorney general race debate
Two candidates vying to be Minnesota’s attorney general met Friday in their first debate. DFL incumbent Keith Ellison, who is after a third term, and Republican Ron Schutz, an attorney, went head-to-head over issues defining their intense and increasingly expensive race. Republicans last won a...
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Politics Friday: How would having a woman as governor change the Capitol issue set?
We’re delving into the practical effects of Minnesota electing its first woman as governor and what issues might get new attention at the state Capitol. Barring something unforeseen, Minnesota will join the current list of 32 states that have elected a female chief executive. MPR News politics...
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Mark Dayton calls perseverance a 'prerequisite for success' as he reflects
Mark Dayton held a career in public service in Minnesota that spanned five decades. He is well known for serving two terms the state’s governor, leaving office in 2019. Before that, Dayton’s career included stints as a state agency official, state auditor and U.S. senator. Dayton talked with MPR...
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How 9/11 changed Minnesota and the nation
The country is acknowledging a somber anniversary: 25 years ago, America suffered its worst terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst explores how that event hit home in Minnesota with former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, whose first ballot-box victory came the same...
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Craig, Flanagan meet for final debate before primary
DFL U.S. Senate hopefuls U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan met for a live debate Monday on MPR News. Senate debate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDYHGPRp1E8 With about two weeks left until the primary election on Aug. 11, Flanagan and Craig responded to questions about fraud,...
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Politics Friday Special: Democrats and Republicans convene for their party conventions
Thousands of the most politically involved Minnesotans are trading a leisurely spring weekend for the rough-and-tumble of indoor state party conventions. They're weighing who they want to carry party banners in races for governor, U.S. Senate and much more. Republicans will gather in Duluth…
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Politics Friday: Walz weighs in on the work left to do for the remainder of his term
Minnesota lawmakers have headed home for the year. The Legislature adjourned earlier this week after enacting some priorities and setting others to the side. Some bills still await action by Gov. Tim Walz. Barring a special session, these will be the last bills that Walz confronts after two terms...
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Politics Friday: Minnesota lawmakers reach a session-ending deal, now race to get it through
Minnesota lawmakers are filling in the details of a legislative budget agreement struck this week and will have to hustle to pass the bills needed to enact it. If they do, Minnesotans will see reductions in their vehicle registration, help with rising property taxes, continuation of a lead pipe...
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Politics Friday: Amy Klobuchar lays out plans in her DFL governor's campaign
The Legislature will end its session this month. Lawmakers don’t have a choice; the Minnesota Constitution requires them to wrap it up. The political parties both hold late-May endorsing conventions. DFLers meet in Rochester while Republicans assemble in Duluth. There are choices in the major…
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Politics Friday: Taking stock of Minnesota's session, campaign as May decision points near
The Legislature will end its session this month. Lawmakers don’t have a choice; the Minnesota Constitution requires them to wrap it up. The political parties both hold late-May endorsing conventions. DFLers meet in Rochester while Republicans assemble in Duluth. There are choices in the major…
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Will Michele Tafoya's public profile transfer to politics?
There’s an open seat in the U.S. Senate, and Republicans are trying to do something they haven’t since 2006: Win a statewide election. Both parties are working to figure out their nominees for November. Veteran sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya is taking the political plunge, and if she succeeds...
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Keeping up with the legal jousting between state, federal governments
Minnesota is suing — and has been sued — a lot. There are cases over health care funding, immigration, clean energy policy, election laws, tariffs, diversity policies and much more. Playing point for much of it: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. He’s teamed up with Democratic attorneys...
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High tensions at the Capitol as lawmakers tick down the to-do list
The pace will crank up at the Minnesota Capitol next week. With fewer than six weeks before the required legislative adjournment, packages of policy and spending measures will set the tone for the end-of-session negotiations that aren’t all that far off. What’s still in play and what has taken a...
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Politics Friday: 3 congressional candidates vying for their party's endorsement
Minnesota’s eight U.S. House seats don’t change hands all that often, but after November’s midterm election one seat certainly will. The state’s 2nd Congressional District will have a new representative come January 2027. Democratic incumbent, Rep. Angie Craig, is running for the open U.S. Senate...
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Politics Friday: Mike Lindell 'all in' for Minnesota's governor's race with Trump backing or not
Local party conventions around Minnesota are shaping top political races. Delegates are being selected for the state endorsing conventions at the end of May. So candidates are making the rounds — especially for Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat and an open governor’s race. Democrats will be…
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Politics Friday: Consumer safeguards gain bipartisan support at the Capitol
The first big deadline for action in the 2026 legislative session is quickly approaching at the Capitol. While committee hearings will be churning at full steam next week, a number of bills are delayed or stuck in the tied Minnesota House. But there’s an area where measures have fielded…
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At the Capitol, a slate of immigration bills to respond to ICE surge
It’s been about a month since White House Official Tom Homan announced a drawdown of federal immigration officers in Minnesota, but the news from a fearful public and growing concern for those impacted remains. Lawmakers at the state Capitol are responding to the fallout from “Operation Metro...
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Tax debate picks up at Capitol as lawmakers discuss state-federal mismatches
Federal law changes provided new breaks for income derived from overtime and tips. Other business tax cuts were approved last year, too. Now Minnesota lawmakers are debating how many of those ideas to incorporate into the state tax code. It would come at a hefty cost. Proposals to contain rising...
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Lawmakers push for proposals to tackle fraud, receive new economic forecast
There’s been a strong focus on an issue of ongoing concern in the state: Fraud, and what to do about it. Lots of fraud-fighting ideas are floating around the Capitol. Several have bipartisan support, but that doesn’t mean their travels through the Legislature will be smooth. MPR News politics...
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Politics Friday: First week of session opens with Hortman tribute, focus on tragic events
The Minnesota Legislature’s 2026 session started with reflection about the deadly shootings that killed state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Another lawmaker, state DFL Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, survived a connected shooting at their home. Hoffman was honored in the...
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Politics Friday: Lawmakers outline their priorities for the 2026 legislative session
Minnesota lawmakers will face constituent pressure to take action on some potent issues from guns control, immigration, fraud, taxes and more as the convene the 2026 session on Tuesday. The Capitol also remains deeply split, with legislative seats almost evenly divided between the parties in the...
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Politics Friday: Thousands attend Minnesota caucuses to weigh in on issues, governor candidates
Tens of thousands of voters across Minnesota convened at schools, community centers and other gathering places to pick their preferred candidates for governor. They also vented their concerns on immigration, fraud and other priorities for the state’s major political parties. MPR News politics...
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Special episode: Sen. Hoffman reflects on a long healing process after shooting
For the first time, we’re hearing a detailed account of the shooting that seriously wounded State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, last summer. It was the same night that authorities say the attacker killed his colleague, Rep. Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark Hortman. On this special...
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Politics Friday: Tim Walz exit, ICE shooting puts glaring national spotlight on Minnesota
In any other week, at any other time, the abrupt end of a governor’s reelection campaign would be the kind of momentous story that dominates the headlines for many days — but this isn’t one of those weeks. Minnesota is under tremendous pressure from internal and external forces. Any sense of…
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Politics Friday Special: Walz gives deeper explanation about decision to abandon bid for third term
In a momentous start to the 2026 election year, Gov. Tim Walz announced he would end his reelection campaign. The announcement itself was scripted and restrained. The next day, Walz took questions about the decision and the gloves came off. On this special broadcast of Politics Friday, MPR News...
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Politics Friday: With Election 2025 in rearview mirror, eyes are now on 2026
It was an eventful off-year election across the country. In Minnesota, St. Paul elected a new mayor, state Rep. Kaohly Her. It was in a surprise repudiation of the incumbent, Mayor Melvin Carter. Across the river, Minneapolis voters gave their mayor, Jacob Frey, another term. As the dust settles...
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Minneapolis mayoral candidates make their cases to lead state's biggest city
Voters in Minneapolis are electing a mayor this fall, and it's a crowded race with 15 names on the ballot. Four of the leading candidates for Minneapolis mayor address key issues and how they intend to lead their city in a MPR News/Minnesota Star Tribune debate. The candidates were selected…
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Politics Friday Special: Rochester's growth spurt is driving economic, political change
Rochester is changing in many ways. City blocks are filled with construction work zones. Streets are littered with detours. Cranes tower over the skyline as a massive makeover plays out. Much of it is tied to a major medical expansion associated with the largest employer around — Mayo Clinic.…
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Politics Friday: St. Paul mayoral candidates lay out their visions for Minnesota's capital city
Three candidates for St. Paul mayor addressed key issues and how they intend to lead the capital city in a MPR News/Pioneer Press debate. Incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter, DFL state Rep. Kaohly Her and scientist and business owner Yan Chen talked about their plans for addressing economic…
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Republican Jensen makes another try for Minnesota governor
Former state Sen. Scott Jensen maneuvered his way through a crowded governor’s race field to gain the Republican Party’s backing in 2022. Now, he’s hoping to do it again. Jensen, a family physician, won the Minnesota Republican Party endorsement in 2022 but lost in November to Gov. Tim Walz by…
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A Minnesota lawmaker with focus on fraud tries to weave through GOP governor field
Minnesota Republicans feel good about their chances in 2026. They’ve got lots of opportunities to break through on the statewide map — with several key offices on the line. None is more tantalizing than the governor’s office. DFL Gov. Tim Walz is after a third term, and Republicans are out to...
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Politics Friday: Walz sounds off on new book, 3rd term bid and a rift with Republicans
Gov. Tim Walz has divided attention these days as his political past, present and future all collide. A new book offers details of the vice presidential run that turned him into a national figure. Ongoing issues with fraud in government programs and efforts to combat gun violence have him at...
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Politics Friday Special: Exploring the political shift in northwestern Minnesota
As the midterm campaign approaches, the political winds are starting to kick up around Minnesota. Places that used to send Democrats to St. Paul or Washington no longer do — or at least not as much. Meanwhile, Republicans are working to head off the historical trend of the president’s party…
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Will a special session work without prior deal? House leaders assess possibility
Minnesota’s House of Representatives has been tested in the last year by a political tie, a lawmaker’s assassination and now consideration of a special session to respond to high-profile acts of violence. In their first joint interview, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with Republican...
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Politics Friday: Hunt for 2026 ballot spots is on with governor, U.S. Senate as marquee races
With just a little over a year until the 2026 midterms, office-seeking Minnesotans are building their campaigns for the state’s top political positions. On the Republican side, several candidates are vying for a GOP nomination to replace Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, although Walz has yet to state if...
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Politics Friday special: Walz, Demuth, Flanagan remember Rep. Melissa Hortman
Minnesota was rocked over the weekend by the politically targeted shootings of two state lawmakers. State Rep. Melissa Hortman, a former DFL House Speaker, was fatally shot along with her husband, Mark. DFL State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, are still recovering after sustaining…
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Politics Friday: Digging into the one-day special session
Minnesota lawmakers are breathing a bit easier now that they’ve finally adopted a new budget — roughly $66 billion over the next two years. The Legislature met earlier this week for a special session to get the work done. There were protests, long debates, stories of immigration, but lawmakers...
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Politics Friday: Lawmakers slog toward budget conclusion as special session is set
It’s been about three weeks since the the Legislature adjourned from the 2025 session without completing a state budget. Since then, teams of negotiators have met, mostly in private, to try to chart a path to the end and craft remaining budget bills. Lawmakers will have to complete this task to...
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Politics Friday: Walz weighs in as state lawmakers head into overtime
The Minnesota Legislature is hanging around a bit longer. The yearly work was supposed to end Monday, May 19 but lawmakers adjourned with unfinished business. Now, they’re gearing up for a special session. Most of the budget is unresolved and the final points of agreement are still not in hand.…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Weekly updates from Brian Bakst and the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom staff covering politics in Minnesota.
HOSTED BY
Minnesota Public Radio
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Politics Friday have?
Politics Friday currently has 42 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Politics Friday about?
Weekly updates from Brian Bakst and the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom staff covering politics in Minnesota.
How often does Politics Friday release new episodes?
Politics Friday has 42 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to Politics Friday on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Politics Friday?
Politics Friday is created and hosted by Minnesota Public Radio.
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