Politics Friday

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 editor Brian Bakst recaps the results from caucus night and where campaign 2026 goes from here.

House Speaker Lisa Demuth finished atop the GOP straw poll and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar cemented her place as the DFL Party’s frontrunner for governor. Both declined to come on the show, either taped or live, to discuss the results.

But Kendall Qualls, whose second place showing improved on his first run for governor, is a guest. Independent candidate Mike Newcome, who could be a November factor, also joins the show.

Later, political analysis from caucus results and the broader electoral landscape, and we’ll hear from the voters themselves.

Guests:

Kendall Qualls is an Army veteran, think tank founder and a Republican candidate running for Minnesota’s 2026 governor’s race. 
Mike Newcome is a business owner and a Forward Independence Party candidate for governor.
Todd Rapp is the president and CEO at Rapp Strategies and a veteran DFL strategist.
Preya Samsundar is a GOP political analyst and a campaign consultant.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation or subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.

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 episode of Politics Friday, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talks with Sen. Hoffman about the attack on his life, the healing process and his new sense of purpose.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.

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 civic cohesion is being strained.  

On this special episode of Politics Friday, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talks with All Things Considered host Clay Masters and Capitol correspondent Dana Ferguson about a week that will go down as one of the most memorable in Minnesota history. The trio puts it into context and discusses how it will shape the election-year ahead.

Guests:

Clay Masters is the host All Things Considered for MPR News.
Dana Ferguson is a political correspondent for MPR News. 

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.

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 host Clay Masters and politics editor Brian Bakst cover Walz’s first press conference since dropping out of the race. In it, Walz described the change of course as a personal one rather than a reflection on his chances of winning the race. He also commented on fraud investigations, Trump administration actions affecting Minnesotans and the pressure he plans to put on state lawmakers over gun safety and other issues.

The special also includes comments from former Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips and from Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.

Downtown Minneapolis is short on public restrooms, and City Council Member Katie Cashman is hoping to leverage a languishing streetcar fund to boost the toilet tally.

The council votes on the 2026 city budget Tuesday night, and money is tight; Cashman’s proposal carries a $700,000 price tag.

Cashman, who represents Ward 7, joined Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition Tuesday to talk about the pros, cons and concerns of her bathroom proposal for the Nicollet Avenue transit corridor.

Back in 2019, there was an effort to provide more restrooms downtown, but the city used Port-A-Potties and experienced some safety, security and maintenance concerns, Cashman said. Pre-COVID-19 pandemic, permanent public facilities were more widely available, too.

“For example, the ABC parking ramps — those large ramps over by Target Field — had public restrooms, and since COVID, they just have not reopened,” she continued. “So we're dealing with a big lack of bathrooms all throughout downtown, throughout the city, and my proposal is to go with a private vendor who is providing more high-tech, standalone bathrooms.”

Listen to the conversation by clicking the player button above.