National politics prevail at the Great Minnesota Get Together

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan takes a selfie with a volunteer in the Education Minnesota booth at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 27, 2024. Photo by Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer.

Politicking at the Minnesota State Fair means glad-handing greasy palms, eating your weight in Minnesota commodities, and being ready to admire the tattoo of a likely voter when one presents her bicep showing a blue chicken.

“People are very chatty,” said Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan after Ann Barrett of St. Paul showed off one of her newest tattoos of the State Fair re-entry stamp. Barrett said Flanagan is a “real person” who could appreciate her eccentric passion for the fair.

Flanagan plans to put in seven days at the fair while Gov. Tim Walz campaigns across the country for vice president. She poured cups of 2% and chocolate at the unlimited milk booth, toured the Education Building, and saw Ludacris and T-Pain (though she was technically off duty, then).

She’s getting an earful from voters who are downright euphoric about the presidential election since Joe Biden dropped out and a Minnesotan ended up on the top of the ticket.

“Folks are excited about Minnesota and the national spotlight we have right now … It’s lovely,” Flanagan said.

Democrats hope those positive vibes for Harris and Walz will translate into two more years of single-party control of state government. If Harris and Walz win, then Flanagan would become the first Native American governor in the country and there’s a good chance the party will keep control of the House and Senate.

She must remind voters that progressive policy wins like free school meals and codifying abortion rights wouldn’t have happened without the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s state lawmakers, who are strangers to most fairgoers.

The DFL’s majorities hinged on a handful of battleground districts that were often decided by just dozens of votes.

Republicans are also working the fair, and attracting long lines at their booth, as they try to bring back divided government, citing the DFL trifecta’s use of the entirety of the $17 billion surplus and endless headlines about government programs being defrauded, among other issues.

Even the far-right group Action 4 Liberty’s “Never Walz” booth had long lines of eager attendees hoping to win a “Never Walz” hand fan or a free t-shirt.

Loras Holmberg, a volunteer at the Republican Party booth, wore one of the few political t-shirts at the fair that wasn’t promoting Trump or Harris. His red shirt was for House Rep. Danny Nadeau, R-Rogers, which he said was a requirement of the job.

Holmberg has volunteered at the GOP booth for about four years, and he said people have always been more interested in national politics because it’s what they see the most in the news. His top issue is the U.S.-Mexico-border, as he’s concerned with a growing population in the U.S.

Chatting with people about the issues is why Holmberg volunteers at the booth, even though he said as of Wednesday morning he hadn’t talked with many people at length about issues.

“Here at the State Fair, if you want to get out and espouse your beliefs, this is the place to do it. You have thousands and thousands of people walking by with nothing to do but eat junk food and stare at things and chat,” Holmberg said.

Over at the Minnesota Senate and Minnesota House booths in the Education Building, fairgoers filled out a 10-question poll with yes or no questions such as whether the Legislature should legalize sports betting, enact a law banning students from using their cell phone during the day and whether they support the sale of cell-cultivated meats in Minnesota.

Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley, after trying the mango-flavored Dole whip with chili powder, served a shift at the House booth and said national politics have always been top of mind for voters. He said he believes excitement for a Harris-Walz ticket will translate to the House, where Democrats are hoping to maintain or widen their five-seat majority.

“We have a lot of good (DFL House) candidates — who certainly in their own merits would do well — and I think it’ll only help us having governor Walz at the top of the ticket too. A lot of Minnesotans really like him personally and like what he does as governor,” Freiberg said.

Barrett, who stopped Flanagan to show off her State Fair tattoo, said she would miss Walz if he becomes vice president, but she’s excited for Flanagan and her potential. Barrett also has a tattoo of State Fair mascot, Fairchild the gopher, on the back of her left shoulder, but she didn’t get a chance to show it off to Flanagan on Tuesday.