>> ERIC: CAMPAIGN SEASON IS IN FULL SWING AGAIN AS WE APPROACH THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS THIS FALL.

BOTH PARTIES HAVE HELD THEIR CONVENTIONS AND ARE NOW PLANNING FOR PRIMARIES, AND WHILE THE ENDORSEMENT PROCESS PRODUCED SOME EXPECTED RESULTS, TENSIONS AND DIVISIONS STILL REMAIN IN BOTH PARTIES.

HERE TO BRING US UP TO SPEED IS ALEX PLECHASH, PARTY CHAIR FOR THE MINNESOTA GOP, AND RICHARD CARLBOM, PARTY CHAIR FOR THE DFL.

THANK YOU, FELLAS, FOR BEING HERE.

IS THERE ANY TALK ABOUT MODIFYING OR CHANGING THE ENDORSEMENT PROCESS THAT HAS A CONVENTION AND A PRECINCT CAUCUS ATTACHED TO IT?

>> WELL, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Eric: OH, SURE.

>> PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

AS FAR AS THAT TALK, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THE PARTY'S TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, NOT REALLY.

WE HAVE A PROCESS, IT'S BEEN HANDED TO US, DFL'S GOT THE SAME THING.

AND, SO, WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

>> Eric: WHAT IS IN IT FOR ENDORSED CANDIDATES ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE?

WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES DO YOU BRING TO THE TABLE FOR AN ENDORSED CANDIDATE?

>> WELL, THEY GET ALL THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AS A PARTY.

SO THE COMMUNICATION, FUNDING, GETTING SAMPLE BALLOTS OUT, THINGS LIKE THAT.

EVERYTHING THAT THE PARTY CAN DO FOR A CANDIDATE THAT IS ENDORSED, WE WILL DO.

>> Cathy: PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING AT BOTH OF THE CONVENTIONS THAT WERE HELD PROBABLY WERE SCRATCHING THEIR HEAD THINKING, IS THERE SOMETHING TO THIS ENDORSEMENT PROCESS THAT, REALLY, IN THIS DAY AND AGE WE SHOULD CONTINUE?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR ENDORSEMENT PROCESS STARTED ON FEBRUARY 3rd WITH PRECINCT CAUCUSES WHEN WE HAD 37,000 PEOPLE SHOW UP, OUR LARGEST EVER.

THAT LED TO 1,400 DELEGATES, 57%, WHICH WERE NEW FIRST-TIME-EVER DELEGATES, AND THAT'S A REALLY SPECIAL MOMENT FOR MINNESOTANS TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY.

CANDIDATES MADE THEIR CASE.

WE HAD OUR RESULTS.

AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT OUR ENDORSED CANDIDATES.

>> Cathy: SAY, DID YOU EE THE KSTP TV REPORT, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, THAT THE ENDORSED CANDIDATES OF BOTH ARTIES DON'T REFLECT MOST VOTERS' STANCES ON THE ISSUES.

WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU SAW THAT?

>> EVERY CANDIDATE'S GOT HIS OWN PLATFORM, BASICALLY, AND WHAT THEY'RE VYING FOR.

AND IN A STATEWIDE LEVEL, IT OBVIOUSLY IS DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES.

THAT'S PROBABLY THE PLACE WHERE THE PARTIES DIFFER THE MOST, STATEWIDE CANDIDATES, WHEN YOU GET LOCAL, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE THINKING.

BUT I WILL TELL YOU, WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT OUR SLATE OF CANDIDATES.

ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN.

INTERESTINGLY, ALL OF OUR STATEWIDE CANDIDATES ARE MILITARY VETERANS.

WE DIDN'T GO OUT O DO THAT, BUT THAT'S THE WAY IT TURNED OUT.

AND WHAT WE WERE DISCOVERING, MINNESOTANS, WHAT THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT MOST IS THE COST OF LIVING.

AND THE DFL WOULD HAVE YOU THINK THAT THAT OMES OUT OF WASHINGTON OR PRESIDENT TRUMP.

BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, THIS IS A MINNESOTA ISSUE, AND WE CAN SAY THAT IT WAS AT THE DOORSTEP OF THE DFL WHEN THEY HAD THEIR TRIFECTA.

YOU KNOW, WHEN THE DFL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN MINNESOTANS, THEY DID.

BECAUSE OF UNIVERSAL SCHOOL LUNCHES AND BREAKFASTS, A FAMILY IN St.

CLOUD SAVES $1,200 A YEAR FOR A SINGLE CHILD.

THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE SAVINGS FOR A FAMILY WHO'S JUST TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

MEANWHILE, REPUBLICANS IN WASHINGTON HAVE VOTED FOR TARIFFS THAT KNEECAP FARMERS, CONTINUED THE WAR IN IRAN.

TOM EMMER CHEERED I.C.E.

ON INTO THE STATE.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, MINNESOTANS HAVE A CLEAR CHOICE COME NOVEMBER 3rd.

DO YOU WANT PEOPLE WHO STAND WITH MINNESOTANS?

OR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING DESPERATELY TO GET THE LOVE AND ADMIRATION AND ENDORSEMENT OF DONALD TRUMP?

THAT'S WHAT REPUBLICANS ARE DOING.

MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS ARE FOCUSED ON LOWER COSTS FOR FAMILIES BECAUSE THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

>> Eric: BUT BEFORE YOU GET TO NOVEMBER, YOU GOTTA GET THROUGH THE PRIMARY, HICH IS, WHAT, AUGUST 11th, I THINK EARLY VOTING STARTS, WHAT, LATER THIS MONTH.

>> TWO WEEKS.

>> Eric: HOW DO YOU GUYS KEEP SOME FORM OF UNITY, IS THAT PART OF THE PORTFOLIO FOR YOU CHAIRS IS TO TRY TO KEEP FOLKS AS UNITED AS THEY CAN BE IN CONTESTED PRIMARY RACES?

>> WELL, OF COURSE IT IS.

I'VE TALKED ABOUT UNITY WITHIN THE PARTY SINCE THE DAY I TOOK OFFICE AS A PARTY CHAIR.

GETTING THROUGH THE PRIMARY SEASON IS ALL ABOUT UNITY BEHIND OUR ENDORSED CANDIDATES.

AND WE NEED TO UNIFY OUR MESSAGE.

OUR MESSAGING IS GOING TO BE UNIFIED THIS THE PARTY AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.

>> Cathy: HOW BLOODY DO YOU THINK YOUR PRIMARY MIGHT BE?

>> I'M SORRY.

>> Cathy: HOW BLOODY -- >> THAT'S NOT A TERM I WOULD USE.

I THINK ANY TIME YOU'RE IN POLITICS, IT GETS TO BE A BIT OF A BLOOD SPORT, WHETHER IT'S AN INTRAPARTY OR INTERPARTY.

SO I EXPECT WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME OF THAT.

BUT WE'RE REALLY MOSTLY TALKING ABOUT ISSUES.

>> Eric: FLANAGAN AND CRAIG, SENATE, LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SHARP ELBOWS, THERE'S ACCUSATIONS GOING BACK AND FORTH ON SPENDING, SO FORTH.

>> YOU KNOW, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FLANAGAN OVERWHELMINGLY BY ACCLAMATION RECEIVED THE ENDORSEMENT AT THE CONVENTION.

SHE'S RUNNING A REALLY STRONG CAMPAIGN.

ONE THING THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE DFL THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN 24 CAREERS, LAST WEEKEND WE KNOCKED ON NEARLY 20,000 DOORS.

THE FIRST TIME WE HIT 20,000 DOORS IN A EEKEND IN 2024 WASN'T UNTIL OCTOBER.

THAT'S THE KIND OF ENERGY WE SEE AND I THINK LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FLANAGAN IS BRINGING SOME OF THAT ENERGY INTO THE PARTY.

THERE'S A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE WHO ARE ALARMED AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS WORLD RIGHT NOW, AND THEY WANT TO FIGURE OUT A PLACE FOR THEMSELVES TO BE HELPFUL AND IMPACTFUL, AND THEY'RE HITTING THE DOORS.

THEY'RE LISTENING TO THEIR NEIGHBORS, THERE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS.

AND WE'RE REALLY DOING THE WORK OF DEMOCRACY.

>> Cathy: AS ERIC SAID THAT LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY SHARP ELBOWED RACE, I USED THE WORD, HOW BLOODY WILL BE THE PRIMARY BE ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, I MEAN, HOW TOUGH CAN THIS RACE GET BETWEEN THOSE TWO?

>> WELL, PRIMARY BALLOTS ARE ALWAYS PRIMARY BATTLES, RIGHT, THEY'RE INTRAPARTY FIGHTS.

WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON IS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT PEGGY FLAN CABIN BRINGS TO THIS TICKET.

SHE BRINGS A GREAT VALUE WHEN IT COMES O INVITING AND BRINGING NEW PEOPLE INTO THIS PARTY.

ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE YOU HAVE THIS BIZARRE RACE FOR THE U.S.

SENATE THAT I THINK IS LITERALLY AN EFFORT TO TRY AND GET DONE AL TRUMP TO PAY ATTENTION TO MINNESOTA.

IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT WHAT MINNESOTANS ARE THINKING.

IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE GET DONALD TRUMP TO PAY ATTENTION HERE AND THAT, TO ME, IS JUST TOXIC.

>> Cathy: CHAIR?

>> I HAVE TO CHUCKLE A LITTLE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT AT ALL.

THESE ARE CANDIDATES THAT HAVE PRECISE VIEWS ABOUT WHAT MINNESOTANS CARE ABOUT AND WHAT MINNESOTANS WANT TO SEE ABOUT THEIR LEGISLATORS.

THE DFL WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS ELECTION ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.

THEY KEEP REVERTING BACK TO DONALD TRUMP AND THE PRESIDENT.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.

HE'S NOT ON THE BALLOT.

AND THE DFL OWNS THE RECORD THAT WE'VE HAD HERE IN THE STATE.

AND THAT'S HIGHER TAXES, HIGHER FEES, MORE REGULATION, THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT MINNESOTANS ARE FEELING.

MY WIFE, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE HERE, JUST GOT A CAR A MONTH AGO OR SO, AND SHE WAS HIT WITH A NEARLY $1,000 LICENSE TAB FEE.

AND YOU LOOK AROUND THE OTHER STATES AROUND YOU, THEY'RE NOWHERE NEAR THAT.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT MINNESOTANS RE FEELING, AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT THERE.

>> Eric: SO MICHELE TAFOYA FOR SENATE, LISA DEMUTH OR GOVERNOR, THEY DON'T GET ANY BENEFIT FROM THE PARTY UNLESS OR UNTIL BOTH OF THEM WIN IN THE PRIMARY?

>> EXACTLY THAT, WE'RE 100% BEHIND THE ENDORSED CANDIDATE.

WE HAD GREAT CANDIDATES, EVEN CANDIDATES THAT LOST, WE HAD GREAT CANDIDATES.

IT'S A FUNCTION OF THE ENERGY WE'RE FEELING IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE CHAIR CARLBOM HAD, WE FEEL THE SAME THING ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, LOTS OF ENERGY THERE, YEAH, PEOPLE ARE DIVIDED ON THEIR POLICY ISSUES BUT WE SEE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF EXCITEMENT HERE.

I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT MINNESOTANS REALLY CARE ABOUT, WHICH IS NOT WASHINGTON, IT'S NOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WHAT MINNESOTANS REALLY CARE ABOUT IS WHAT THEY'RE LIVING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S A MESSAGE WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT THERE.

>> Eric: IG TURNOUT IN THE PRIMARY?

>> I THINK SO.

I THINK MINNESOTANS UNDERSTAND THAT DIESEL IS AT $5 A GALLON BECAUSE OF THE WAR IN IRAN, GAS AT $4 A GALLON BECAUSE OF THE WAR IN IRAN.

WHEN I LOOK AT THE ENERGY ON OUR SIDE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, WE HAVE 201 CANDIDATES RUNNING IN EVERY SINGLE HOUSE AND SENATE RACE, THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, THEY FAILED TO FIELD CANDIDATES IN 20 RACE, THE WORST REGROUPMENT SINCE 1974 POST-WATERGATE.

>> Eric: YOU'RE FOCUSED ON -- YOU DON'T WANT TO WASTE MONEY ON SEATS THAT ARE PRETTY BLUE, I SUPPOSE.

>> THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS PRETTY GOOD ON MANAGING THE MONEY THAT IT HAS.

>> Eric: YEAH.

>> SO, YES, WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON THE SEATS WE CAN WIN AND ON THE SEATS THAT WE NEED TO DEFEND.

>> Eric: I'M GETTING THE HOOK.

WE GOTTA GO.

WISH WE HAD MORE TIME.

THANKS, GUYS.

COME