It’s the second year for the DFL trifecta at the State Capitol — but the party only has a one seat majority in the Senate and is led by a new face this year.Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy stepped into the role right as this year’s session began. Her predecessor, Kari Dziedzic gave up the position down after learning her cancer had returned. MPR News host Brian Bakst sat down with Murphy to discuss how she plans to keep the DFL caucus on the same page and what style she brings to the negotiating table.Murphy talked about a variety of bills that have been introduced at the Legislature. She is skeptical an immigration-oriented proposal, which backers call the North Star Act, could garner the votes to pass this year. The bill would enhance legal protections for immigrants and limit situations where local and state authorities could work with federal immigration authorities.She also said an end-of-life options bill, known to many as an assisted suicide proposal, will also take more time to work through and could spill into a future session. While Murphy said she understands the importance of both bills, she said it’s important that the DFL not get ahead of what Minnesotans are prepared for.  “This is an issue that is tender for the people of Minnesota, and it can be easily misunderstood,” Murphy said of the bill giving terminally ill Minnesotans more avenues to end their lives with medication. “That’s why I think beginning the hearing process and making sure that the legislation is clear for people so they understand what it would do and what it wouldn’t do is really critical to a successful passage.” However, she believes a hearing on the language of the amended school resource officer oversight bill could come as soon as next week. And a sports betting bill is not off the table in the Senate. Bakst also had an interview with a Republican who could take on three-term U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar this November. Retired Navy Commander Joe Fraser is a newcomer to the political scene. His entrance into the race makes five Republicans who have taken campaign steps to challenge Klobuchar. Fraser discussed his support for Ukraine assistance, his stance on immigration matters and his view of the U.S. economy and federal budget.After being hesitant to endorse former President Donald Trump when he entered the race in January, Fraser has now endorsed Trump as his pick for the Republican presidential nominee. “I can’t answer for his behavior or the way he carries himself as the President of the United States, but he is who he is,” Fraser said.And to his seeming lack of enthusiasm of sharing a ticket with Trump, “It just happens to be. I think there are a lot of Democrats out there who aren’t really thrilled to share the ticket with Joe Biden.” About the assault on the U.S. Capitol building when members of Congress were certifying the 2020 results, Fraser said he can’t condone that behavior. “As somebody who swore an oath of support to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and bear faith and allegiances to the same, I have a hard time with anybody who can justify what they did on January 6,” he said.Editor’s note: Senate candidate Joe Fraser’s interview was shortened for the noon broadcast. We’ve included the full interview in the podcast. Guests:  State Sen. Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-Saint Paul U.S. Republican Senate candidate Joe Fraser MPR News Capitol reporter Clay Masters and Axios Twin Cities reporter Torey Van OotSubscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.   Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  

The Legislature has gaveled in, and the Capitol is quiet no more.  Minnesota Democrats had their way in passing an expansive agenda, from abortion protections to recreational cannabis to restored voting rights for people with felony pasts. DFLers also increased spending across state government, from universal school meals to modest tax rebates. This year, lawmakers will find it more difficult to power substantial legislation through. Leaders and lawmakers have stressed there’s less money to go around and more tamping down of expectations, not to mention it’s an election year.  MPR News host Brian Bakst talks to the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, about what’s in store for the 2024 legislative session.  Guests:  House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park  House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

The 2024 election kicks off when the first votes of the presidential campaign are cast Monday night in Iowa, where Republicans are jockeying for support in that state’s caucuses.Will former President Donald Trump score the victory that eluded him in his first White House run? Could rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley pull off an upset or at least keep it from being a Trump runaway? MPR News host Brian Bakst gets the lay of the Iowa land from MPR News senior politics reporter Clay Masters, who has been reporting extensively on the first-in-the-nation caucuses.With early voting starting here in just days, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon joins the program to talk about preparations for Minnesota’s primary.  And two campaign professionals with deep experience in presidential politics will offer their assessments about how 2024 is shaping up.Guests:  Clay Masters is a politics reporter for MPR News.Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.  Jennifer DeJournett is a Republican political operative and president of Ballot Box Strategies. She has worked on past Iowa caucus campaigns and ran Carly Fiorina’s Minnesota campaign in 2016.Corey Day is a Democratic consultant who ran Joe Biden’s 2020 Minnesota primary campaign and the former executive director for the DFL Party. Corey is the vice president of the LS2 Group, a political consultancy.Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

George Latimer is an iconic voice in Minnesota politics, and for some he is best known as a popular former mayor of Minnesota's capital city.Latimer was St. Paul’s mayor from 1976 to 1990 and still holds the record for the longest- serving mayor in the city’s history. During his years in office, St. Paul underwent dramatic changes, including a downtown building boom.But those accomplishments, while popular in St. Paul, weren’t enough to propel Latimer to victory when he sought the DFL nomination for governor in 1986. He lost the primary contest to Rudy Perpich.Latimer went on to serve in the Clinton administration as an expert on housing and urban development, was later a professor at Macalester College and has advised many of his successors at city hall.Latimer, 87, still holds court and is eager to talk politics from the comfort of his bedroom at a senior housing and care facility in St. Paul. Latimer has been laughing, joking and reflecting on his long political career.On a special edition of Politics Friday, former St. Paul Mayor George Latimer talks to retired MPR News host Gary Eichten.Guests:   George Latimer is the former mayor of St. Paul. He served in office from 1976-1990.  Gary Eichten is a retired MPR News host.Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

For the first time in a decade the DFL had control of the House, Senate and governor's office — and they ran the table at the Capitol.  In the last five months, the DFL passed legal marijuana, paid family and medical leave, renewable energy standards, election changes, and boosted education and transportation funding. It was virtually every major initiative the Democrats proposed.  MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talks to Gov Tim Walz about his take on the session and gets his response to criticism from Republicans and others who say the Democrats went too fast, and too far this year. Later in the hour, a conversation with the President of the Minnesota Senate, Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis. And MPR political reporters will analyze the 2023 Legislative Session and what comes next.  Guests:  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis  Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR News.  Brian Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR News. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Minnesota voters made history in Nov. 2022 when they elected three Black woman to the state senate — a first in the 165 years of Minnesota statehood.  MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talks with Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, DFL-Minneapolis, and Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten, DFL-St. Paul, about their first legislative session and the perspective they brought to the chamber.Later in the hour, two Republicans from the cannabis conference committee explain their approach to a final version of the bill to legalize marijuana. And MPR News political reporters explain what you can expect from the Minnesota Legislature as the session nears adjournment.Guests:  Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, DFL-Minneapolis  Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten, DFL-St. Paul Rep. Nolan West, R-Blaine  Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR News.  Brian Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR News. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

There's a lot of work going on at the Minnesota Capitol heading into what might be the final weekend of the 2023 legislative session.  Several large bills are still being worked on by conference committees as lawmakers try to reach agreements on the final pieces of a new two-year state budget. Taxes, health care, education, transportation and a host of other issues are all in the mix. And the final negotiations on a paid family leave program and legal marijuana are also underway.  MPR News host Mike Mulcahy will talk to a key player in formulating the Democratic agenda for Minnesota: House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park.  Later in the hour, House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, will give us the Republican point of view on what the Legislature doing, and what it could mean for Minnesotans.  We'll also hear MPR’s political reporters break down the biggest news stories of the week.   Guests:  House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR News. Brian Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR News.Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Sen. Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic has held the slim DFL majority together on all the major issues, all while recovering from a recent cancer surgery.    MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talks to Sen. Dziedzic and Sen. Minority Leader Mark Johnson about the 2023 session and what Minnesotans can expect in the final weeks of the session.  Later in the hour, MPR’s political reporters recap some of the biggest news stories of the week. Guests:  Sen. Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis Sen. Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR News. Brian Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR News. 

Winter has taken its toll on Minnesota roads, leaving drivers to maneuver between dips and cracks in the street that seem to grow by the day. But making sure those potholes get filled is just one of the many issues involved with transportation.  MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talks to Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis, chair of the Transportation Finance and Policy committee in the House; and Rep. John Petersburg, R-Waseca, Minn., the committee’s lead Republican, about transportation spending. The state is set to get a billion-dollar boost for a total of nearly $9 billion over the next two years. While some of that money comes from the budget surplus, there are plans to find new sources of ongoing funding for roads, bridges and transit. Later in the program, the latest development on the marijuana bill that just passed the House and if there’s a future for legalize recreational cannabis in Minnesota. And political reporters will recap the biggest stories from the Capitol this week.Guests:  Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis  Rep. John Petersburg, R-Waseca    Rep. Jess Hanson, DFL-Burnsville  Brian Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR News.  Briana Bierschbach is a politics reporter for the Star Tribune.  Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

The Legislature has spent much of this week passing elements of a new two-year state budget. They're working off a base of the current $52 billion budget and looking to add the $17.5 billion surplus to it. The House and Senate plans do not line up perfectly, and conference committees will have to work out the differences. MPR News guest host Brian Bakst talks about the state budget under construction at the Capitol with two leading DFL lawmakers who have their eyes on the big picture and a Republican who says the pace of spending is unsustainable.  Later in the hour, a recap of the governor’s State of the State speech and look at the busy week ahead.  Guests:  Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville Rep. Liz Olson, DFL-Duluth Rep. Anne Neu Brindley, R-North Branch   Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR News. Peter Callaghan is a state government reporter for the MinnPost. Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Washington has been in recess for the past couple weeks, allowing members like U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar to travel back to Minnesota.  In that time, she has met with President Biden to champion the bipartisan Infrastructure Act and visited the town of Winona as residents prepare for spring flooding.    MPR News guest host Brian Bakst talks to Sen. Klobuchar about bipartisan efforts to pass the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, judicial ethics concerns at the Supreme Court and the looming debt ceiling.  Later in the program, a conversation on a paid family and medical leave proposal. The bill would guarantee almost every Minnesota worker time off around the birth or adoption of a child to tend to a family member’s serious illness or cope with their own health emergency. But there’s a big price tag to get it off the ground within a few years — more than $660 million in startup money that would be taken from the state’s surplus. The program would later rely on a new payroll tax on both employers and employees to cover the partial wage replacement benefits. Sen. Alice Mann, DFL-Edina, author of the paid family and medical leave bill, and Julia Coleman, R-Waconia, who has offered alternative approaches to paid leave in the past, explain where they currently stand on the issue before the Legislature votes on the bill in the upcoming weeks.  And political reporters from MPR and Axios break down the biggest news from the Capitol this week.     Guests: U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar  Sen. Alice Mann, DFL-Edina Sen. Julia E. Coleman, R-Waconia Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR News Torey Van Oot is a reporter for Axios Twin Cities  Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Attorney General Keith Ellison and Secretary of State Steve Simon are three months into their new four-year terms and they're already busy.  Just yesterday, Ellison asked Gov. Walz to allow him to take over the prosecution of a Hennepin County criminal case and the governor agreed. It's a decision the Hennepin County attorney called deeply troubling.MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talks to Ellison about the Hennepin County criminal case, a proposed Sanford-Fairview health care merger, the state’s lawsuit against Juul Labs and the work of his office’s criminal division.  And Simon has been working with the Legislature on changes to election laws, including automatic voter registration, pre-registering 16 and 17-year-olds and allowing more early voting. He joins the program to explain what the purposed election legislation would do and why he thinks it's needed.  Later in the hour, presidential historian Timothy Naftali talks about the criminal charges filed against former President Donald Trump and how the situation compares to past presidents and former presidents.  Guests:  Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison  Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon  Timothy Naftali is a presidential historian and founding director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum and associate professor of history and public policy at New York University.Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.    

Minnesota lawmakers are moving forward with a public safety bill that funds big parts of the state’s criminal justice system.  MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talks to Rep. Kelly Moller, DFL-Shoreview, and Rep. Paul Novotny, R-Elk River, about the public safety budget bill released earlier this week. The bill, HF2890, also includes a host of policy provisions, including a “red flag” measure designed to reduce gun violence.  Later in the hour, Sen. Sandra Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, explains the latest developments with the capital investment bill — also known as the bonding bill — and how the DFL plans to move forward with or without Republican support.And MPR’s political reporters break down the biggest news from the Capitol from this week.  Guests:  Rep. Kelly Moller, DFL-Shoreview  Rep. Paul Novotny, R-Elk River Sen. Sandra Pappas, DFL-St. Paul Brian Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR News   Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR News Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Two Democrats from northern Minnesota are key members of the DFL's slim majority and they’re facing tough votes on controversial issues including gun control, taxes and abortion. MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talks to Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, and Sen. Robert Kupec, DFL-Moorhead about how they're weighing what their constituents are telling them and the agenda DFL leaders are promoting at the Capitol.Later in the hour, we get the GOP reaction to a new two-year budget outline proposed by DFL leaders earlier in the week. MPR political reporters stop by to unpack the latest news from the Capitol.And Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, DFL-St. Paul, shares her life story about growing in the Twin Cities, her music career and how it all connects with her passion for activism and politics. Guests: Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown Sen. Robert Kupec, DFL-MoorheadSen. Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, DFL-St. Paul Brian Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR News  Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR NewsSubscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  

For years, Minnesota lawmakers have been working to legalize marijuana. The latest bill is still up for debate, but can a small DFL majority make it happen or will this bill go up in smoke? MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talks to Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids, about the movement to legalize marijuana and we’ll also hear from Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, on why she’s one of the lawmakers speaking out against legalizing adult-use cannabis. Later in the hour, Sen. Heather Gustafson, DFL-Vadnais Heights, and Rep. Sydney Jordan, DFL-Minneapolis, explain how their bill for universal school breakfast and lunch will benefit students across Minnesota.  And MPR News political reporters unpack the latest news from the Capitol this week.    Guests: Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids  Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple GroveRep. Sydney Jordan, DFL-MinneapolisSen. Heather Gustafson, DFL-Vadnais HeightsBrian Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR News  Dana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR NewsSubscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.   

House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis, have used their slim DFL majorities to break a logjam over progressive legislation. MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talks to three of the most powerful women in state government about what's happened at the Capitol so far this year and what's next on their agenda.Speaker Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Dziedzic talk about Minnesota's massive budget surplus and their plans for the upcoming weeks. And Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, has made history herself as the first Black woman to lead the House Republican caucus. We'll get the GOP take on what's been happening this session and her strategy for the weeks ahead. Later in the hour, MPR News political reporters unpack the biggest stories from the State Capitol this week.   Guests: Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn ParkHouse Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold SpringSenate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, DFL-MinneapolisDana Ferguson is a politics reporter for MPR NewsBrian Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR NewsSubscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.   

The Minnesota State Legislature gaveled into its 93rd session two months ago, and lawmakers have quickly gotten to business. MPR News political editor Mike Mulcahy gets the latest news from the Capitol with political reporters Dana Ferguson and Peter Callaghan. And Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, talks about the GOP agenda for the remainder of the session. Later in the program, a conversation with Gov. Tim Walz about the state’s budget surplus and his top priorities for the legislative session.Guests: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz State Sen. Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand ForksDana Ferguson is a politics reporter covering the Minnesota Capitol and elections for MPR News. Peter Callaghan is a state government reporter for the MinnPost.Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

With the DFL poised to take control of the Minnesota Senate and keep control of the House and governor’s office, some Democratic priorities may become law in 2023. Mike Mulcahy talks abortion, marijuana, paid family leave, sports betting and more with newly selected Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) and Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park). Mike also talks with newly reelected DFL Secretary of State Steve Simon and political analysts Todd Rapp and Chas Anderson.

In a 3rd Congressional District debate, incumbent Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) debates his Republican challenger, Tom Weiler. Mike Mulcahy moderates a debate about what Congress can do about abortion, inflation, public safety, social security and more. Later in the hour, Mike talks to Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) and Sen. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) about next week’s election.

The DFL and Republican candidates for Minnesota governor met for their third and final debate Friday on MPR News. DFL Gov. Tim Walz and his Republican challenger, Dr. Scott Jensen, sparred over crime, the economy, education and more. MPR News politics editor Mike Mulcahy moderated the debate.

With just over two weeks to go until Election Day, polls show many Minnesota races are very tight, including the race for state auditor. MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talked with DFLer Julie Blaha, who is seeking a second four-year term as auditor, and with Republican challenger Ryan Wilson. They talked about the big issues, where they agree and disagree and what the state auditor actually does. Plus, an update of the week’s political news with MPR News political reporter Dana Ferguson. Guests: Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha is the DFL candidate for state auditor. Ryan Wilson is the Republican candidate for state auditor.Dana Ferguson is an MPR News political reporter. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

MPR News politics editor Mike Mulcahy moderates a debate between the candidates for Minnesota Attorney General — incumbent DFLer Keith Ellison and Republican challenger Jim Schultz.

Economist Louis Johnston discusses inflation and other economic issues that will have an impact on the upcoming election. And attorney Carol Moss talks about President Biden’s recently announced federal pardons for simple marijuana possession and how marijuana policy could affect the 2022 election. And MPR News's Mark Zdechlik gives us the rundown on the 2nd Congressional District race between DFL incumbent Angie Craig and Republican challenger Tyler Kistner.

Host Mike Mulcahy talks with Mayor Jacob Frey about Frey’s choice for the next Minneapolis police chief.Then, a conversation with State Rep. Jen Schultz, DFL-Duluth. She’s an economics professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth and she’s challenging U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., for the 8th District seat in Congress and not running for reelection to the Minnesota House. (We have invited Rep. Stauber on the program, but he has not yet agreed to an interview.)Finally, Mike rounds up this week’s political news stories with MPR News’s Dana Ferguson and Brian Bakst and Minnpost’s Peter Callaghan.

This week on Politics Friday, Mike sits down with Representative Angie Craig to talk about her re-election campaign, and Brian Bakst moderates a debate between the two candidates for Hennepin County Attorney.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, join host Mike Mulcahy to talk about why their party should get control of the House in November's election. Then Mike talks to retiring Rep. Paul Marquart, DFL-Dilworth, a rare rural Democrat in Minnesota.

For this special state fair edition of Politics Friday, Mike Mulcahy talked with GOP candidate for governor Scott Jensen and DFL Secretary of State Steve Simon. And the MPR News politics reporting team looked ahead to the fall campaign season.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison easily won the DFL nomination on primary night. He’ll take on Republican nominee Jim Schultz in November.

Republican Attorney General nominee Jim Schultz talks with MPR’s Mike Mulcahy.

Congressman-elect Finstad talked to MPR’s Brian Bakst about his priorities for his short term in Congress and the campaign ahead.

Former Hormel Foods CEO Jeff Ettinger talked to Brian Bakst about what his next campaign will look like.

Former GOP state senator Scott Jensen is his party’s nominee for Governor. He’ll try to unseat incumbent DFL Gov. Tim Walz in November.

Governor Tim Walz is seeking re-election after a term dominated by his response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout from the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

While politics may not be on the top of many people’s minds as summer vacation season sets in, political watchers are tuned into campaign finance reports, polling data and the mood of voters. This week saw the release of reports showing Democrat Tim Walz has a big campaign cash advantage over his Republican rival Scott Jensen. But there was also news of an 8.5 percent jump in inflation in May as gas prices hovered near $5 per gallon. There are conflicting signs in the political tea leaves, and Republicans and Democrats are reading them differently.This week on Politics Friday, host Mike Mulcahy talks with two veteran political analysts —Democrat Abou Amara and Republican Brian McDaniel — for their takes on the news and what it all means for the August primary and the November election.