Photo by Sariah Cheadle Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan speaks during the 19th annual Minnesota Senate District 15 Corn Feed at Ramsey Park in Redwood Falls on Wednesday.

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REDWOOD FALLS — Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer Labor (DFL) party of Senate District 15 held the 19th annual Corn Feed at Ramsey Park featuring local and statewide candidates for U.S. Senate and House races as well as current government officials including Gov. Tim Walz.

An estimated 230-250 people attended the potluck-style event that provided corn on the cob, live music by The Mad Hatters, and speeches by the candidates and state representatives.

The crowd was welcomed by Lyon County DFL chair Anita Gaul. She was among several speakers to honor former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was shot and killed on June 14.

Walz followed Gaul and also mentioning Hortman and stressed how important it is “everyone’s looking after one another” in that loss.

Walz was slated to attend the Corn Feed in 2024, but instead found himself on the national stage being announced as the candidate for vice president. Walz said that this opportunity more than anything “was an incredible honor to talk about Minnesota” to the people of the entire nation.

Walz expressed concern over recent policies passed by the Republican-controlled Congress, especially for greater, rural Minnesota.

“They’re going to hurt access to our local hospitals. They’re going to hurt the things we know grow our economies and allow people to choose where they live,” Walz said.

He highlighted the necessity of school boards as “that’s where it all starts” and the importance of “making sure all students feel welcome across the states.”

He closed his remarks by stating that in a policy world that’s ever shifting, he focuses on what he knows for certain:

“When I come out here, I’m with good friends, and they’re working for the betterment of their community.”

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, spoke of her background growing up in a single-parent home.

“I know what it looks like from inside a trailer home to know what the American Dream looks like,” Craig said.

She spoke of “knowing what we are fighting for” which for her include things like term limits, affordable housing and child care, and lowering the cost of groceries.

Another candidate for U.S. Senate, current Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, introduced herself first in Ojibwe, Gizhiiwewidamookwe, or “speaks in a loud and clear voice woman” which she assured listeners, she does.

She spoke of the importance of SNAP and Medicaid and echoed worries she hears that “the bottom could fall out at any moment.”

Flanagan pointed to the success in Minnesota with expanding paid family and medical leave and hopes to encourage all states to increase wages to meet inflation stating:

“There are not enough people in Washington, D.C. who understand what is happening in the lives of real people in this moment,” Flanagan said.

Congressional District 1 candidate Jake Johnson, who is a math teacher in Rochester, shared his journey into politics, and why he’s felt compelled to become “a new voice in Washington.”

One of 11 kids, his family relied on SNAP, and Medicaid, and he needed Pell grants to get to college.

“People invested in me, and I was able to invest back in my community,” he said.

Johnson shared that the recent cuts to SNAP and U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad’s public pride in those cuts is what compelled him to run for office, knowing it was people like him and his family who benefited from those services.

Johnson has been a public school math teacher for 19 years and he now has several former students on the campaign trail with him.

Erik Osberg, running for CD 7, which stretches all the way from Iowa to Canada, including 38 counties, was the final speaker.

Rather than being daunted by the size of his district, Osberg views it as “the coolest part.” Since the launch of his campaign on March 11, he’s visited 35 of the 38 counties.

Osberg feels “a lot of healing needs to take place” emphasizing this with the acronym: HEAL as “Healthcare” “Education” “Agriculture” and “Labor”

Current Minnesota legislators and office holders in attendance then briefly shared some highlights from the last year of accomplishments within the DFL party including expanding access to mental health care in Greater Minnesota and funding food to farm and school programs. State representatives in attendance included Luke Frederick, Tina Liebling, and Dave Pinto.

State Sen. Doron Clark spoke of the importance of running for all offices including school boards and city councils. That strength in a community starts from “the bottom of the ticket.”

State Auditor Julie Blaha spoke of the current uncharted, chaotic waters of the current administration. State Rep. Emma Greenman closed the night leading a chant of “This is what democracy looks like.”

Event attendee Luanne Fondell of Dawson said it was a “delight to see Governor Tim Walz here …to shake his hand and look him in the eye and say how proud we were to vote for him.”

Walz shared his encouragement of going to events like this and continuing to build relationships with those across the political spectrum in a desire to help citizens “make up their own mind.”

“If there’s a room and it’s 100 people and 99 are with me, one against me, I spend time talking with the one,” Walz said.