Advertise on podcast: Beers with Blois

On this week's Sunday Take with WCCO political analyst Blois Olson, he catches up with AJ Awed who is running for Mayor of Minneapolis.  Plus majority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives Ryan Winkler, and Minnesota Senator Karin Housley both discuss the potential special session on COVID frontline worker relief.  

This week, WCCO political analyst Blois Olson talks to Steve Simon, Minnesota's Secretary of State who announced he will run for re-election, Steve Hunegs the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, and with this week's media roundtable with TPT's Mary LaHammer and Laura McCallum the Star Tribune's Politics and Government Editor.  

Blois talks to John Stanoch, a former Hennepin County District Judge on the huge week in courts and politics.  He then chats with journalist Rebecca Brannon who was working on the Lazarro story in February. Finally, Peter Callaghan of MinnPost and Steve Karnowksi of AP join for a media roundtable on the biggest stories of the week.  

In the first edition of our new show "Sunday Take" hosted by WCCO political analyst Blois Olson, he talks to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi about their new policy on low-level traffic stops, the new head of the Minnesota Senate GOP Jeremy Miller who is replacing gubernatorial candidate Paul Gazelka, plus talks politics with Torey Van Oot from Axios and Ricardo Lopez of the Minnesota Reformer. 

Ward 11 City Council candidate Dillon Gherna had a blue-collar upbringing in the Michigan mining town of Calumet, but fell in love with the cosmopolitan City of Lakes upon moving here at 18 years old. On this episode, hear Gherna discuss his approach toward public safety, his views on the city’s housing needs, and challenging an incumbent in a consequential election year for the city.

First Transit project manager Steven Frich believes he has what it takes to win the competitive Ward 10 City Council seat left vacant by departing Council President Lisa Bender. Hear the candidate discuss his platform – aligned with a Democratic Socialist vision – and what a Minneapolis under this ideology would look like.

Longtime Longfellow resident Tom Anderson has built a career in education, and his run for the Ward 2 City Council seat emphasizes the importance of schools in Minneapolis’ future. But in challenging Minneapolis’ only non-DFL affiliated City Council member, Anderson discusses how his stances on issues of public safety, housing, and more set him apart.

“The world is watching Minneapolis right now,” says candidate for Ward 2 Robin Wonsley Worlobah, whose fight for social justice is informed by an upbringing in a predominantly Black, working-class Southside Chicago neighborhood and work for state teachers’ union Education MN. On this episode, hear the Democratic-Socialist candidate discuss her run against an incumbent also outside of the two major parties, the future of public safety, and responding to the city’s historic moment.

Candidate for Ward 7’s City Council seat Nick Kor found a passion for organizing when helping LGBTQ+ classmates at the University of Thomas find their place, and after travelling the country as a Bush Fellow, his attention turned to city politics. In this episode, hear Kor discuss a vision for “housing as a human right,” reimagining public safety, and more. Plus, listen for the candidate’s favorite spot to grab a drink in the city!

Mickey Moore registered to run as a third party candidate for Congress on the day after the killing of George Floyd, and relative electoral success in his own Ward 9 inspired him to continue campaigning in its City Council race. Public safety, economic vitality, and preserving the ward’s business corridor success are crucial issues for Moore – hear him elaborate in this episode.

Park Board Commissioner LaTrisha Vetaw is no stranger to running for office, nor is she unfamiliar with the Northside. As she runs against an incumbent in the Ward 4 City Council race, she speaks to changes and misconceptions about the Northside, how her neighbors feel about ward-specific potent topics like public safety, affordable housing, economic development, and much more.

David Wheeler, candidate for Ward 10’s open City Council seat, has experience serving in city government; he spent years serving the city of Duluth in many roles and even ran for mayor. After ending up on Minneapolis’ Board of Estimate & Taxation, he cites a continued call to bring his knowledge to city issues - like public safety and housing – as reason for running for City Council in a crucial year. Hear it all on this episode.