On a crisp October weekend in rural Granite Falls, Minnesota, the state’s political landscape came alive as Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party candidates and supporters gathered for a fundraiser that felt more like a rallying cry than a routine campaign event. With the stakes of upcoming elections looming large, candidates including Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, and Congressional hopeful Erik Osberg made their case for a new direction, one defined by clarity of purpose and a willingness to confront the nation’s most pressing problems head-on.
The gathering on October 11, 2025, drew a crowd eager to hear from candidates vying for key state and federal offices. Flanagan and Craig, both running for the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Tina Smith, took center stage alongside Osberg, who is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach in Congressional District 7. The event also featured four contenders for Minnesota State Auditor: Zack Filipovich, Adam Jennings, Ben Schierer, and Dan Wolgamott, each bringing their own vision for the state’s fiscal stewardship.
But it was the national mood—marked by economic anxiety and political gridlock—that set the tone. According to the Marshall Independent, Flanagan urged her fellow Democrats to be “loud and clear about what it is that we are fighting against, and what it is that we are fighting for.” She emphasized the need for a positive vision, not just opposition, in the face of challenges ranging from tariffs and health care costs to the broader question of government accountability.
Craig, echoing these sentiments, painted a stark picture of the current climate: “I can tell you that we have not seen anything like what we are starting to see in this country,” she remarked. Citing former President Donald Trump’s economic policies—including what she described as “across-the-board tariffs,” a $20 billion bailout to Argentina using U.S. taxpayer dollars, and the “decimation of the soybean markets”—Craig warned of an affordability crisis gripping families, small businesses, and farmers alike.
“This is an opportunity to stand up for our family farmers across this country,” Craig declared, making it clear that the DFL’s platform would put rural and agricultural concerns front and center.
Flanagan, meanwhile, didn’t mince words about the Trump administration’s legacy, accusing it of “ransacking our government” for the benefit of billionaires. “They’re taking literal health care for people, and food off of the table, and in service of what? Tax breaks for folks at the very, very top who do not need them. And that should be unacceptable,” she said, as reported by the Marshall Independent.
Osberg, the Congressional challenger, added his own perspective on the need for balance and restraint in government. “We need to bring back checks and balances,” he said, explaining that his campaign is rooted in the idea of reining in executive power and restoring it to constitutional levels. Osberg’s commitment to grassroots engagement was evident—he shared that the Granite Falls event marked his 90th campaign stop since March, underscoring his pledge to be both accessible and responsive to constituents across the sprawling 38-county district.
“What I’ve heard from people is, they just wish that their representatives were A, accessible, and B, responsive. So that’s my pledge to you folks, is we will be accessible. We will be responsive,” Osberg promised attendees.
Flanagan’s vision extended well beyond the immediate electoral horizon. “We are kidding ourselves if we think this is just about 2026,” she told the crowd. “This is about 2028 and 2030 and 2032, and what we are building together. To say there are Democrats and people who share our values all across the state of Minnesota, and we simply have to invite them in.” Her words reflected a long-term strategy: not just to win the next election, but to rebuild a durable coalition for the future.
While the Granite Falls event focused on energizing the DFL base and articulating a forward-looking agenda, the broader political context was anything but tranquil. Just days earlier, on October 3, 2025, Rep. Angie Craig introduced the No Pay For Disarray Act in Congress—a bill designed to dock lawmakers’ pay during government shutdowns. The legislation, which Craig had also introduced in 2023, complies with the 27th Amendment by returning the withheld pay at the end of the session. According to Flag Family Media, the bill aimed to send a message: if Congress can’t keep the government running, its members shouldn’t get paid while federal workers are left in the lurch.
“If Republicans want to keep the government shut down so they can avoid addressing the urgent health care crisis — they shouldn’t get paid for it with your tax dollars,” Craig asserted on social media on October 5, two days after reintroducing the bill.
The proposal drew sharp reactions from across the aisle. North Dakota GOP Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, for instance, requested her own pay be withheld during the shutdown, stating that if essential workers like troops and air traffic controllers aren’t being paid, neither should lawmakers. But Fedorchak also accused Democrats of “putting politics over people and holding the government hostage for $1.5 trillion in unserious partisan demands.”
Rep. Michelle Fischbach, Craig’s Senate race rival, dismissed the bill as a “political stunt by someone running for higher office.” She took aim at Craig and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “multi-millionaires,” suggesting that not all members of Congress could afford to go without pay. “If Rep. Craig thinks government shutdowns are irresponsible, then she shouldn’t have voted to shut the government down. If she feels guilty about collecting a paycheck, she can always donate her salary, perhaps to a cause that will help the federal workers and troops whose paychecks she voted to take away,” Fischbach wrote, as reported by Flag Family Media.
As of October 13, none of the three lawmakers—Craig, Fedorchak, or Fischbach—had responded to inquiries about whether they would donate part of their salary during the shutdown.
The clash over the No Pay For Disarray Act highlights the deep partisan divides in Washington, even as candidates in Minnesota try to focus on local concerns and the practical needs of their constituents. For DFL hopefuls like Flanagan, Craig, and Osberg, the message is one of engagement, vision, and a willingness to challenge both the status quo and their political opponents. For Republicans like Fischbach and Fedorchak, the emphasis is on fiscal responsibility and skepticism toward what they see as political grandstanding.
As the 2026 elections approach, the battle lines are drawn not just over policy, but over the very nature of public service and accountability. In Minnesota and across the nation, voters will soon decide which vision they believe will best serve their families, communities, and country.