Only 30% of Minnesota like the new state flag

Republicans have made it clear for two years that they don't like the new Minnesota state flag, and a fresh poll shows that they have company.

By the numbers: Just 30% of 800 likely Minnesota voters in a Star Tribune/KARE11/University of Minnesota poll said they approve of the new design, which was approved in 2024.

Zoom in: Just 2% of Republicans and only 26% of independents approve of the design.

• Even Democrats aren't exactly enthused, with 55% of them supporting the new flag.

State of play: The flag has become politically polarizing, with some rural and suburban communities opting to fly the old version, while the new state flag is very popular in the metro core, especially after Operation Metro Surge.

• Opponents of the new flag have said they wanted more input on the design and are upset that the new one erases history.

The other side: Supporters argue the old flag was racist because it depicted a white farmer tending his field while a Native American rides off into the sunset.

• They point to a poem by the artist's wife as evidence that he meant to show white settlers pushing Indigenous people out of the state.