This week on the Better Minneapolis podcast, I spoke with Tony Reichenberger, author of the Purple America newsletter. Tony grew up in Wisconsin, now lives in Minnesota, and writes about elections as job interviews for how we govern ourselves. With the results still fresh, we talked about what voters said at the polls and what comes next for Minnesota and the country.
Tony pointed to three issues that shaped the vote: rising costs from tariffs and gas prices, the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, and voter frustration with President Trump. He said the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti reached voters well beyond the Democratic base, including gun owners and some Republicans. We also discussed the new DFL trifecta under Gov.-elect Amy Klobuchar and the tensions ahead over new programs, taxes, and accountability. Tony walked through David Crowley’s win in Wisconsin, the Democratic sweep of statewide offices in Texas, and the case for shorter, less costly campaigns. We closed with a look at who Klobuchar might appoint to her U.S. Senate seat and who could run for it.
Tony’s main point was that winning elections is the easier part, and governing well is what will decide 2028 and beyond. Democrats now hold power in more states than they have in years, and how they deliver for residents will matter as much as how they won. Listen to the full conversation for Tony’s take on the 2028 Senate map and what he plans to watch in the new Congress. Tony will join me again in late January to look at how the new year has started.
You can visit Tony’s newsletter here.
