Operation Metro Surge split national perceptions of Minnesota: survey
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images
Last winter's local response to the federal government's Operation Metro Surge polarized the national perception of Minnesota, with younger people viewing the state more positively and older generations turned off by what they saw here.
Why it matters: Months of federal immigration raids and resistance by Minnesotans put the state in the national spotlight, prompting business leaders to wonder how the attention would affect tourism, investment and the state's reputation.
The Minnesota Business Partnership commissioned Morning Consult polls to find out.
- The overall answer: 26% of people in a June Morning Consult poll of 2,000 Americans said they had a more favorable opinion of Minnesota compared with a year earlier and 34% said their view was more negative.
Zoom in: The surge and how residents reacted to it gave Gen Z (+21) and Millennials (+12) a more positive view of Minnesota compared with a year ago, while Gen X (-27) and Baby Boomers (-31) soured on the state.
- The younger poll respondents said that last winter's events made them more open to moving here.
- Of note: The winter also brought a national spotlight on fraud, which could have also altered perceptions beyond the surge.
The poll results were presented to a room full of Minnesota CEOs at a Minnesota Business Partnership event, held Thursday at Best Buy's headquarters.
What they're saying: Count Ecolab CEO Christophe Beck as one who came away with a positive view of Minnesota.
- "I don't think there's a time when I've been more proud to be a Minnesotan than in January," the leader of the St. Paul company said during a panel discussion.
Flashback: Following the shooting death of Alex Pretti, the second Minnesotan gunned down by federal agents, 60 Minnesota CEOs signed a letter "calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local, and federal officials to work together to find real solutions."
- "It was not just the city and the citizens that came together; it was also the business community," U.S. Bank CEO Gunjan Kedia said at the event.
The other side: Some community members criticized the letter as too vague and coming too late.
The big picture: A separate June poll of 1,000 Minnesotans found that 52% said the state is heading in the wrong direction, up 11 points from the November poll.
- Top concerns include misuse of state finances, public safety, growing the economy and access to health care, which is an issue rising across the nation, according to Morning Consult CEO Michael Ramlet.
The poll found that nearly 80% of residents expect to be living here five years from now, but nearly half say they would leave for the right job opportunity.
- "Loyalty here is real, but it's not unconditional," said Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha, who noted that his company is constantly being recruited by other regions that have invested in talent, infrastructure and incentives.