Podcast · News

Politics Friday

by Minnesota Public Radio · English · News

Weekly updates from Brian Bakst and the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom staff covering politics in Minnesota.

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 50 min
Latest: 8 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026 · 49 min

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 seat means a new representative in a district covering the southern metro suburbs and down into farm country. The two candidates vying for the job have spent time in the Minnesota state Senate. MPR News host Catharine Richert moderates a debate between Matt Little, a Democrat, and Eric Pratt, a…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

2 Oct 2026 · 59 min
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 Minnesota attorney general’s race in 1966, although Ellison won by small margins in his past two elections. On this special edition of Politics Friday, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst moderated the Minnesota attorney general debate. Guests: Keith Ellison is a DFLer and a two-term attorney general.…
24 Sep 2026 · 50 min
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 editor Brian Bakst talks with correspondent Dana Ferguson about the campaigns of Democratic nominee Amy Klobuchar and Republican nominee Lisa Demuth. Both have personal experience with breast cancer and both are talking about women’s health in a more-prominent way. Then, a discussion of election polls.…
18 Sep 2026 · 54 min
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 News politics editor Brian Bakst to reflect on his career and discuss his new memoir, titled "Perseverance." In this conversation, Dayton recounts his personal challenges and his time as governor. He also revisits his call to increase taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans — a campaign promise he…
11 Sep 2026 · 50 min
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 day as the attack. We’ll also look at whether the lessons from the attack endured and how that day changed the country in many ways. Later, one last — brief — trip to the Great Minnesota Get Together. The Minnesota State Fair was a hotbed of political activity with people sizing up candidates in…
27 Jul 2026 · 59 min
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, immigration enforcement, Social Security and other issues. Guests: Peggy Flanagan is Minnesota’s two-term lieutenant governor. Angie Craig is a four-term Democratic U.S. representative serving Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts , Spotify…
29 May 2026 · 1 hr 43 min
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, while DFLers are on their way to Rochester. How are Democrats and Republicans preparing for November’s midterm election? What advantages or headwinds are there for each party? MPR News hosts Brian Bakst and Clay Masters will speak with candidates, party leaders, convention delegates and political…
22 May 2026 · 53 min
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 in office. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with Walz about the highs and the lows over his eight years in office. Then, a recap of this year’s session. There were somber moments, tense exchanges and lots of debate over the past few months. We’ll take a look back with our political…
15 May 2026 · 50 min
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 replacement push and more. A key hospital in Minneapolis would get a lifeline and counties would get money to replace old technology that makes running programs difficult and fraud more of a risk. The Legislature was tasked with a compact agenda and it looks like that is what will result. Items that…
8 May 2026 · 49 min
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 races — governor and U.S. Senate — but the gatherings of activists can be unpredictable. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and Capitol correspondent Dana Ferguson map out the session so far and where it could head next. And several immigrants in Minnesota are asking the state to pardon criminal…
1 May 2026 · 49 min
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 races — governor and U.S. Senate — but the gatherings of activists can be unpredictable. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and Capitol correspondent Dana Ferguson map out the session so far and where it could head next. And several immigrants in Minnesota are asking the state to pardon criminal…
24 Apr 2026 · 51 min
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 she might be one of the more recognizable U.S. senators. Can Tafoya overcome what’s shaping up as a tough environment for Republicans? If she does, what would Tafoya do in Washington? MPR politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with Tafoya about what led her to run and what it will take to win in…
17 Apr 2026 · 50 min
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 general in other states for some of the litigation and has gone solo in other cases. Closer to home, he’s in negotiations with the Legislature over ways to beef up fraud investigations and prosecutions. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with Keith Ellison. Later in broadcast, a breakdown on…
10 Apr 2026 · 50 min
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 back seat? How prickly will those floor debates get? MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with two leaders of the Minnesota House of Representatives to talk about session priorities. Later in the program, we continue our conversations with candidates running for Congress in Minnesota’s 2nd…
3 Apr 2026 · 49 min
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 and will leave the House after four terms. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst speaks with candidates about why they’re the best Democrat to serve the district that runs from the suburbs down into southern Minnesota farm towns.
27 Mar 2026 · 51 min
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 trying to hang onto the seats, while Republicans will be trying to break a statewide election dry spell. The GOP has a very competitive race for the governor spot on the ballot. House Speaker Lisa Demuth and businessman Kendall Qualls are part of a top tier of hopefuls. But MyPillow founder Mike Lindell…
20 Mar 2026 · 50 min
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 bipartisan support: consumer protection. Legislation is on the march that deals with the prices people pay, defenses against scams and recourses available if they’ve been ripped off. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and his guests assess what consumer protection bills might make it into law this year.…
13 Mar 2026 · 50 min
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 Surge” through a variety of bills. They’re also holding press conferences and speaking on the floor of the House and Senate about what happened during the surge, from federal agents using unmarked vehicles and wearing masks, to whether the state should provide rental assistance for those afraid to leave…
5 Mar 2026 · 50 min
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 property taxes are also under review in the Legislature. MPR News host Brian Bakst and a pair of lawmakers talk taxes. Later, we’re off to Washington where Minnesota continues to be the focal point for multiple reasons. The continuing fight to contain public program fraud had the attention of a U.S.…
26 Feb 2026 · 50 min
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 editor Brian Bakst talks with a pair of lawmakers with a similar goal but competing visions for a proposed investigatory unit. Later in the hour, MPR News’ senior economics contributor Chris Farrell breaks down the state’s new budget and economic forecast . Guests: DFL state Rep. Matt Norris, of Blaine.…
20 Feb 2026 · 50 min
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 Senate chamber. It was the first time the Legislature had been in order since months of traumatic and tragic events left them and the state grieving and challenged to take action. The session will go fast, with just about three months to squeeze everything in. There will be debates about fraud,…
13 Feb 2026 · 52 min
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 House and Senate. Progress will be a challenge in an election year when some key players are looking up the political ladder or worried about the political winds back home. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talks with the Minnesota’s four caucus leaders about what’s in store for the session and…
5 Feb 2026 · 50 min
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 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,…
20 Jan 2026 · 39 min
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 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…
9 Jan 2026 · 23 min
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 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…
6 Jan 2026 · 32 min
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 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…
7 Nov 2025 · 50 min
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 from the the 2025 election, momentum for the 2026 midterms is picking up. Minnesota will see an election as big as they come as voters will elect a governor, a new U.S. senator, key positions from the attorney general to the secretary of state, eight members of the U.S. House and the entire state…
31 Oct 2025 · 55 min
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 because they’ve been the most active in their contacts with voters and in putting resources into the race. Incumbent Jacob Frey, state Sen. Omar Fateh, business owner and attorney Jazz Hampton and minister DeWayne Davis address public safety, property taxes, minimum wage and downtown development. MPR News…
24 Oct 2025 · 52 min
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. There have also been political shifts. Rochester is one of the shrinking number of places outside of the Twin Cities-area where Democrats seem to have an upper hand. It wasn’t always that way. On this special broadcast of Politics Friday, MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst heads to Rochester, where he…
17 Oct 2025 · 57 min
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 development, taxes, crime, homelessness and rising city costs. MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst and Pioneer Press reporter Fred Melo moderated the St. Paul mayoral candidate debate from the UBS Forum in downtown St. Paul. This event was recorded on Tuesday. Use the audio player above to listen to the full…

About Politics Friday

Weekly updates from Brian Bakst and the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom staff covering politics in Minnesota.

Politics Friday is a English news podcast from Minnesota Public Radio. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Minnesota Public Radio
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 50 min
Latest episode: 8 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id129950195

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