Photo by Deb Gau A pie social was part of the lead-up to Saturday's Lyon County DFL convention. Volunteers helped serve up slices of pie, before Lyon County DFL members heard speakers and chose delegates for future conventions.

MARSHALL — Organizers at this year’s Lyon County DFL convention said they’re seeing an increase in participation from area Democrats.

“We had a good number of delegates show up,” said Lyon County DFL chair Anita Gaul.

“We’ve had a lot of new people, as well,” said Lyon County DFL member Tim Buysse.

Democrats from Lyon County gathered at the Marshall Adult Community Center on Saturday afternoon for a pie social, followed by the county convention. The event brought together representatives of several DFL campaigns in both state and national government, as well as guest speakers including U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, in her U.S. Senate campaign.

“I’m running because it’s time that this country finally worked for the middle class and the working class,” Craig told area Democrats. Craig encouraged area Democrats to “believe in the D, the F and the L” in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

County conventions are part of the process that Minnesota political parties use to set a party platform, choose delegates for future conventions, and endorse candidates.

Jennifer Cronin, Congressional District 7 DFL chair, said party organizers have seen an increase in the number of people coming out to take part in DFL events, including precinct and county caucuses. The rise in participation really started becoming visible since last spring, when hundreds of people attended a DFL town hall meeting in Willmar, she aid.

“People are energized,” Cronin said.

After Saturday’s county convention, the next step will be the Senate District 15 DFL convention. The district convention will be April 18 in Redwood Falls, Gaul said.

Attendees at Saturday’s convention heard speeches from Democratic candidates, as well as messages in support of candidates who were not able to attend the event in person.

In her remarks to area residents, Craig said Democrats in Minnesota knew what they were against, but also needed to know what they stood for.

“We’re against Donald Trump and this administration,” Craig said. “I introduced the articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem . . . We’re against $186 billion in cuts to the SNAP program. We’re against a trillion dollars in cuts to the Medicaid program, which is decimating rural hospitals across our nation.”

“But as DFLers and Democrats, we know that we also have to be for something. We’ve got to present that case to the American people,” Craig said. “I’m for lowering costs. I’m for keeping our community safe, and I’m for reforming Washington. We need to end Citizens United and get big money out of politics. We need to stop members of Congress and senators from being able to trade stocks in this country. We need to take on the health insurance companies by finally passing Medicare for all who choose it.”

To accomplish all those things, Craig said, Democrats needed to win back majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.

In additional comments to the Independent, Craig said the cost of living crisis was one of the key challenges facing Minnesotans.

“The most important thing, when my constituents talk to me or when voters talk to me, it’s they can’t afford their lives. They feel like the top 2% just keeps getting richer, and the middle class and working class keeps getting left behind in this country,” she said.

Craig also answered questions about how Congress should respond to conflict in Iran.

“I voted to put guardrails on the President’s ability to wage war without the consent of Congress. I voted yes on the war powers resolution,” she said. “The Constitution gives Congress the power of declaring war, not the U.S. President . . . Obviously, no one in America supports the Iranian regime. What they do to their own people is horrendous. But at the same time, most Minnesotans that I talk to do not want boots on the ground, another forever war in the Middle East.”

Craig said she thought Congress should do everything in its power to end the conflict as quickly as possible, and make sure the administration was held accountable.

State candidates who spoke at the Lyon County DFL convention included Minneota resident Nathan Schmig, who gave his first campaign speech in a run for Minnesota state House District 15A. District 15A includes Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, and Lyon Counties.

Schmig said he had a couple of core principles. “Principle one – the preservation of human beings as a species and/or sentient life is the most important thing,” he said. “Principle two – we do not know what the future holds, so we do not know what humanity will need to survive in the future. Therefore, waste or the careless destruction of resources, environment or other species is the greatest sin.”

“People are the most important thing,” Schmig said. He went on to say that he supported single-payer health care, and education. “One of the reasons businesses start here, and are drawn here, is because we prioritize education and put our money where our mouth is,” he said.

Schmig also encouraged people to get involved in their communities.

“We the people can make the world a better place,” Schmig said. “It’s up to us to save the world, and you’ll be shocked at how much we can accomplish if we stand together.”