Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is expected to conduct a “town hall” meeting in Rochester tomorrow (Saturday) morning at a local high school auditorium. It’s part of his multi-state tour, conducting events in districts held by Republican members of Congress. It is the first event in the series being held in the state where he serves as governor.
As it happens, Rochester is located within the state’s 1st Congressional District (southern MN), the seat once held by now-Gov. Walz. Democrats lost the seat in the same election (2018) where Walz was first elected governor. Republicans have won every contest since in the district. Brad Finsted (R-New Ulm) now holds the seat.
In the 2024 election, Finstad won re-election by a margin of over 17 percent, outperforming Donald Trump, who won the district by 12 percent.
Here is the invitation for the Walz event,
As the invitation’s internet address and advertising copy shows, the event is sponsored by the state’s Democratic party (DFL).
The Walz event is free, but pre-registration is required for Saturday and some basic identifying information must be provided, such as a personal email address, to distribute the tickets.
Of course, the location is no longer a secret and is now widely reported in local Rochester media. The Rochester Post-Bulletin also discusses the security for the event,
“Attendees should expect standard security for a large event, including metal detectors,” a notice from the DFL states. “Signs, banners, flags, air horns/bullhorns, weapons of any kind, and large bags are prohibited in the building. Please note that all purses and small bags are subject to search upon entry.”
Here is how the DFL is promoting the event,
Folks are sick of Trump’s agenda hurting everyone from farmers to teachers to veterans. And even if your Republican congressman doesn’t want to listen, they’re going to hear from us anyway.
Join Governor Walz this Saturday morning in Rochester for a town hall where we give the megaphone back to the people, listen to your frustration, and discuss how Democrats can offer a better future.
As shown above, literal megaphones are prohibited. The Post-Bulletin also notes,
For Saturday’s event, the DFL recommends all attendees submit questions in advance via the internet.
So much for the literal listening. But that message should be clear. Anyone who has spent any time in Rochester, MN, knows that Walz is not exactly venturing into enemy territory. Even without Democratic party pre-registration, he would expect to find a warm reception and a friendly audience in the state’s third-largest city and home of the famed Mayo Clinic.
As it happens, just last night, American Experiment hosted an event featuring a Republican member of Congress from Minnesota. In a typical year, our organization hosts dozens of live, in-person events in four different states.
Last night’s event covered the topic “Policy Priorities for Rural America” and featured 7th District Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach, a Republican. The 7th District covers western Minnesota and ranks as one of America’s most rural.
Fischbach was first elected to Congress in 2020, defeating long-time Democratic congressman Collin Peterson. Fischbach previously served as Lt. Gov. and a state senator.
During the event, Rep. Fischbach answered questions for a solid hour.
Like Walz’s event in Rochester, our event in Ottertail was a sellout and required pre-registration. We charged a $10 fee to partially offset the cost of the food offered and other event-related expenses. There were no metal detectors or bag checks at our event.
Your correspondent was not there in Ottertail last night, but the Minnesota Star Tribune was, and filed this report. The Star Tribune writes,
The Republican House member spoke and answered questions in a room of some 100 registered guests, who each paid $10 to attend what was billed as a conversation hosted by the Minnetonka-based conservative think tank Center of the American Experiment.
The Star Tribune goes on to report,
And the group inside included more than a dozen who clearly took issue with Fischbach — some of whom interrupted her with questions about federal funding cuts and were asked by organizers to be quiet or leave.
Although, for logistical reasons, pre-registration was required, we don’t pre-screen attendees at our events, so don’t expect that kind of free-for-all at Walz’s Rochester event tomorrow.
I did appreciate the Feeding Our Future shoutout from the Congresswoman. Again, from the Star Tribune,
In order to preserve federal programs, she said, the government first needs to get a handle on where tax dollars are going.
“We are very focused on waste, fraud and abuse,” Fischbach said. “We don’t want Feeding Our Future stuff going on
Look for an upcoming American Experiment event near you!
The post A tale of two “town halls” first appeared on American Experiment.