Good morning!

Cloudy and a high of just 47, but at least we get a break from the rain.

🎂 Happy birthday to our members Debra Buth and Meg Forney!

🎶 Sounds like: "The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan.

Today’s newsletter is 1,111 words — a 4-minute read.

On her first day as Minnesota's governor-elect, Amy Klobuchar reiterated her no-new-taxes pledge, detailed her "day one" fraud audit plan and called passing tougher gun laws one of her top priorities.

Why it matters: The comments are an early indicator of what the DFL trifecta 2.0 might mean for Minnesota.

The big picture: Tuesday's blue wave dramatically reshaped the balance of power at the narrowly divided State Capitol, handing Democrats their biggest majorities in well over a decade.

Yes, but: While the win could be interpreted as a mandate for more sweeping changes, Klobuchar campaigned on governing from the center.

• "I'm committed to moving our state forward. Not to the left, not to the right, but forward," Klobuchar said.

State of play: DFL legislative leaders are also signaling that this trifecta will be different from the last.

• "We don't have a list of pent-up things that people want to pass," Senate DFL Leader Erin Murphy told reporters Tuesday night. "Instead, we have a pretty significant list of problems and issues that Minnesotans are experiencing."

At the top of that list, Murphy and House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson say, are voters' concerns about affordability, including the cost of health care.

• They also pledged to revive the gun measures and bills proposed in response to Operation Metro Surge — both of which stalled in the tied House.

Yes, but: Klobuchar's approach — and calls for fiscal restraint — tees up likely clashes with liberal legislators, given policy differences on issues like tax hikes and data centers.

Klobuchar and other Democrats downplayed the potential divisions.

• Assistant Senate Majority Leader Nick Frentz, a moderate DFLer from Mankato, told Axios that he believes Democrats will come together as they did on the campaign and "sandpaper down" ideological and policy disagreements.

Some leading Republicans, meanwhile, expressed skepticism that Klobuchar will hold the line.

• "The question now is whether Governor-elect Klobuchar will stand up to the tax-and-spend wing of her party, or whether she'll be another rubber stamp for the far-left agenda, like Tim Walz was," House GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska posted to X.

Between the lines: Frentz said he expects the four-term U.S. senator and former county prosecutor to be a "very shrewd negotiator" and "a little more hands-on" than Gov. Tim Walz has been with the Legislature.

• "Her reputation is detail-oriented, the kind of person that calls get returned, questions get answered," he said.

Who's on her transition team

Lisa Demuth struggled to rack up votes in the metro area at the same rate as the last Republican gubernatorial candidate, Scott Jensen, according to an Axios analysis.

The big picture: Last August, Minnesota Republican primary voters rejected Mike Lindell, who had President Trump's endorsement, in favor of Demuth.

• Operatives believed Demuth had more potential to appeal to voters in battleground Twin Cities suburbs — as did the Republicans who advanced from the U.S. Senate and state auditor primaries without the state party's endorsement.

Yes, but: The strategy ran straight into a historic Democratic wave, which wiped them all out in the general election.

What they're saying: Bucking the party's endorsement process was still the right strategy, says former Tim Pawlenty aide Brian McClung.

• "Election night was the beginning of the end of the Trump era," he tells Axios, urging the GOP to focus on deepening its appeal to swing voters in 2028 and beyond.

Zoom in: Ironically, it was in rural north-central Minnesota where Demuth performed better than Jensen in 2022.

• She also modestly improved in exurban counties like Chisago and Goodhue.

Reality check: GOP strategist Preya Samsundar cautions against over-interpreting the down-ballot results in an "outlier" election defined not by local issues but widespread and understandable anger at Trump.

• Samsundar says primary voters selected strong candidates who would have prevailed in any other year — and reverting to candidates with limited appeal beyond Trump's 2024 base would be a mistake.

In an election like Tuesday's, "the Mike Lindells of the world didn't even have a chance," Samsundar tells Axios.

Explore our interactive map

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say Mike Lindell only had President Trump's endorsement (not one from the state party).

🐘 Rep. Tom Emmer has a challenger for his position as House GOP whip: August Pfluger of Texas, who said his party "left a lot on the table" in the midterms. (Politico)

🫏 U.S. Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan called for Senate leader Chuck Schumer to be replaced with a new Democrat. (Minnesota Reformer)

🪑 Klobuchar deferred questions yesterday about the timing of her resignation from the U.S. Senate and who might fill her seat, saying "I just won the election last night, and I will be very careful in that decision."

🗳️ More than 2.8 million Minnesotans cast ballots in the 2026 statewide election, breaking the previous record for midterm participation set in 2018, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State.

💰 Mall of America reported $224 million in revenue in 2025, its best year in a decade, according to loan servicing documents. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

• The Bloomington megamall is also on pace for its best year for free cash flow since 2019.

🛠️ Golden Valley's Kuipers Ace Hardware is closing after 72 years because, the owner said, he failed to reach a lease with a new landlord. (CCX Media)

🏒 Wild defenseman Brock Faber was back on the practice ice yesterday, a good sign after fracturing his skull during a September preseason game. (KARE 11)

So a Vikings fan and a Bears fan walk into a Vatican ...

Yes, you're looking at Bob Dylan meeting Pope Leo XIV yesterday at the Vatican. Bob rocked the hoodie-tie combo, as one does when meeting the pope.

The intrigue: The Minnesota-raised singer is on tour in Italy and paid visit to the Chicago-raised pope. Leo recently used one of Dylan's lyrics about nuclear disarmament in his preface to a book, according to Vatican News.

📬 Caption contest: Reply to this email with a good caption for this photo. We may use it in a future newsletter!

🏈 Audrey is starting the new season of "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins."

🏛️ Torey is heading to the Capitol, where some of the legislative caucuses are holding leadership votes.

🤔 Nick is confused why he was kicked off Bluesky, since he hasn't done anything but lurk on that site for weeks.

⚔️ Kyle is excited for today's release of the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake.

This newsletter was edited by Larry W. Graham.