Bison meatball sandwiches and gun control: Minnesotans talk politics at the State Fair

Democrats are in a slump judging by the party booth at the Minnesota State Fair, where just a year earlier volunteers were overwhelmed by crowds buying Harris-Walz merchandise. 

“This was three cash tellers wide, people all the way outside the pavilion, more or less from sunrise until 8 o’clock at night,” said DFL volunteer Corey Vest, 47, of Minneapolis. 

Shorter lines are to be expected in an off year, with only local offices on the ballot. Still, it’s undeniable Democrats are struggling to rebound after their resounding electoral losses in 2024.  

Democrats are banking on reigniting their base by next year, when they have a good chance to retake the House and put a check on Trump’s power. The party of the president in power typically fares poorly in midterm elections, though Trump is hoping to hold onto the trifecta by redrawing congressional district lines in red states. 

State Democrats will also need to rally enthusiasm to maintain control of the governorship and avoid further losses in the Legislature, following a run of rough headlines and the tragic loss of Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was the House DFL leader for more than eight years until her June assassination. 

Campaigning for 2026 has already begun. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan took a ride down the Giant Slide in an “I love Milk” T-shirt, while U.S. Rep. Angie Craig plied Republicans with Sweet Martha’s cookies as both seek support for their Senate bids. 

Gov. Tim Walz, who is still mulling a run for a third term, served coffee at the Hamline Church Dining Hall, and state Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, who recently jumped in the race, posed for photos with WCCO Radio personalities. 

At the Democratic-Farmer-Labor booth, Joel Heller, 48, held a sign with a QR code for visitors to fill out the DFL’s “Vibe Check” opinion poll. 

Heller is a disabled Iraq war veteran who lives in Duluth and serves as the chair of the DFL Veterans Caucus. He said he wants people, especially young people, to “start fighting” and calling out “the BS.” 

Heller said he’s struggling to get Democrats around Duluth to run for local positions, like township or school boards. He also said Democrats should be reaching out to moderates more, “or else we’re going to lose.”

Meanwhile, two Columbia Heights residents arriving at the booth after enjoying bison meatball subs – a Walz favorite – said they want Democrats to pursue progressive policies. 

Junia James, 17, a senior at Columbia Heights High School, said Democrats are “fighting for the right things, but I feel like more can be done in some areas.” They listed safety for immigrants and queer youth as issues they care most about being involved in. They are especially worried about ICE, given that Columbia Heights and their high school has many immigrants, they said. 

For Rachel James, 44, Junia’s mother and a Columbia Heights city council member, the biggest issue for the DFL is the exclusionary way caucuses are run, which limits decision-making power to a “group of insiders.” 

“And having met some of those insiders, they’re great, passionate people, but they don’t represent the breadth of our community,” Rachel James said. 

Over at the Republican Party booth, sitting at the quiet garden patio beyond a merchandise area filled with red apparel and Trump flags, Laurel Frost, 57, said she generally approves of Trump’s administration so far. 

“I like the way the economy is going,” Frost said, save for one segment: “Groceries are still a little expensive for my family.” 

Frost, who works for the city of Bloomington’s records department, also appreciates Trump’s promise to revive domestic manufacturing. 

“You hear stories about things that are made overseas and with child labor and things like that,” Frost said. “I don’t want a $2 Walmart t-shirt, if that’s what it is.” 

Sitting beside Frost, Mary Tomlinson, 82, a Florida retiree originally from Minnesota, said that though she’s moving back to the state, she’s put off by Minnesota’s politics enough to keep a  residence in Florida. 

“I just don’t like the political climate here at all,” Tomlinson said, citing her disapproval of Minnesota’s taxes and attitudes towards police. “We have a police department down there that is absolutely honored.”

Even as Minnesotans enjoy the fair in record numbers this year, tragedy hangs over the state, which has endured two tragedies bookending the summer: The political assassination of Hortman in June and a shooting at a south Minneapolis church this week that left two children dead and 18 injured. 

How to prevent similar tragedies will certainly feature prominently in the 2026 campaigns. 

Carly Grant, a 30-year-old Maple Grove resident who works in marketing, said the political conversation about mass shootings is always about whether it’s a mental health issue or a gun control issue: “But I think the government needs to address both.”

Limiting access to assault rifles, requiring safe storage, making mental health care more accessible – especially to men – and closing loopholes for gun purchases are all ideas she supports. 

“Any one of those things would make a huge difference,” Grant said.

The Democratic trifecta passed a slate of gun safety laws in 2023 and 2024 including a red flag law and universal background checks, but did not ban assault weapons or high-capacity magazines. Democratic lawmakers say they will push for those bans next year. 

Dave Heath is a 59-year-old warehouse worker from St. Paul and a lifelong Republican. Rolling back gun rights won’t stop mass shootings, he said. Instead, law enforcement and prosecutors need to keep those convicted of crimes off the street.

“I just think we need to enforce the law. I mean, if you get convicted or charged with a crime, you gotta pay for it,” Heath said.

In the case of the Minneapolis church shooter, police say the individual had no criminal record and purchased the weapons legally.

---

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the Minnesota Reformer on Aug. 29. It was written by Reformer reporters Alyssa Chen, who covers health care policy, and Madison McVan, who covers Minnesota politics and policy with an emphasis on marginalized communities.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and uncovering stories other outlets can’t or won’t report. It is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501(c)(3) public charity.