This was not an ordinary election for Minnesota. For one, Democrat Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz carried his own state by just four percent (lower than Biden’s 2020 run) and returned defeated, still governor—to a now divided state government. As Minnesota Family Council’s Elections Associate, this election gave me a taste of what the church and ordinary believers can do when we get involved in defending the family in the public square. I believe this election represents a fundamental shift for both our nation and state and an open door for the church to further its cultural impact.
For the last two years, the progressive trifecta in St. Paul (control of the Governorship, Senate, and House) cast a shadow over Minnesota, passing radical abortion and gender “affirmation” laws that harm the most innocent and vulnerable among us—our children. A common sentiment among conservative circles had folks looking forward to the day when they would move to a more family-friendly state, doubtful things would ever turn around.
But this election turned out much different than many people expected: legislators were retiring, social demographics were shifting across our state, and for the first time, the national spotlight on our governor revealed to so many the true colors of his and others’ progressive agenda. So, with the Minnesota House up for reelection, we launched our largest-ever, state-wide voter engagement initiative with a simple goal: to win a pro-family victory in the Minnesota House.
The North Star’s New Chapter
In July, I was brought on to help implement key aspects of our get-out-the-vote strategy, including building and leading a grassroots ground-game operation, and the fruit of our volunteers’ efforts has been amazing to watch. After months of hard work, steadfast prayer, and in partnership with like-minded groups, I am overjoyed we succeeded in winning for families across our state. The progressive trifecta is broken, as is their longstanding six-year majority in the State House (resulting in a 67 to 67 tie). In fact, this election was so competitive that two recounts were issued (their results did not alter Minnesota’s legislative balance), so a multi-seat, pro-family majority is not out of the picture next time around. Indeed, several key races are still pending as I write in mid-December.
Even without a majority, a tie is wonderful news for our state because further attempts at promoting abortion, invading women’s bathrooms and sports teams (i.e., the Equal Rights Amendment), and eroding religious freedom will not come to fruition. For the next two years, unless a competitive special election arises, St. Paul must give an ear to Minnesotans who have not been listened to and steer back from its extreme progressive turn. This victory is truly a gift of grace over our state—praise God!
The Plan
So what part did Minnesota Family Council have to play? Collectively, we reached out to voters across 17 swing House districts plus the special State Senate election in District 45 (around Lake Minnetonka), and advocated for candidates who would defend life, family, and religious freedom through a multi-prong approach: digital ads (which garnered 4.01 million impressions), a phone banking operation (which made over 37,000 calls), a billboard campaign (spanning 10 districts), and the largest volunteer grassroots initiative our organization has ever undertaken.
When I set out to recruit members for our grassroots team in August, I was hesitant to believe a group of unpaid volunteers could move the needle in these districts we set out to defend or flip. After all, I had never built or led anything remotely like this, and a fair number of our members had little to no campaigning experience. Thankfully, the support of multiple seasoned campaign professionals and a partner organization helped me get organized and launch our efforts. But by September, I still had only a modest list of interested people, and the election was just two months away.
A Uniquely Driven Team
God soon shattered my expectations by blessing us with an extraordinary team and showed me what can be done when His Church shows up. Our faith-driven volunteers made a combined 9,000 voter outreach attempts door-knocking, 1,500 dropping literature, and over 5,700 calling. That’s—at a minimum—an estimated 33 days straight of combined grassroots activism over 60 days, having only started the weekend after Labor Day.
In total, while only 35 volunteers deployed, with the majority giving a few spare hours when they could, they gave it their all. This small but dedicated group which God blessed us with was composed of passionate, hardworking, and loving individuals from all walks of life, including current and post-college students, retirees, and working parents. The top two volunteers were responsible for almost 3,000 door-knocking attempts, and another three made nearly 4,000 attempted calls. Even those who could not join us in the field were invaluable as we were flooded with their support and prayers.
What differentiated this group from others I’ve been a part of was that, unlike a campaign or party, they were motivated by something deeper than a political win or ideology—they were giving up their time to advocate not only for the good of their family but of people they had never met. Unlike the world, which sees politics as a quest for fame or power, I cherished that our team members were here to serve and recognized our hope was in Christ, not in someone we put into office.
The impact of this heart posture was incredible to witness. Volunteers were willing to drive great distances so their efforts could have the most impact. Another, who joined because he valued our mission to win for families, had the innovative idea of using his bike along canvassing routes. Many others persevered—regardless of poor weather, fatigue, technology issues, or schedule conflicts—to reach people with a family-first message.
Conversations our team had with voters were also on a different level. Each member showed utmost respect to folks at the door, regardless of the response they received. Even when doors were slammed or verbal arrows were shot at our team, they remained positive, composed, and confident that they were advocating for God-honoring positions that would allow Minnesota’s families to thrive. And, because the team genuinely cared for the people they came across, some voters opened up to us in our conversations, exchanging personal testimonies about abortion and other family issues. The whole experience was deeply meaningful for me and others on the team. God truly blessed us with incredible people.
The Election Results
Looking at the results of Minnesota Family Council’s election efforts, it is evident God’s hand was at work. Of the 18 races we engaged in, in partnership with other like-minded groups we defended all eight districts we set out to hold and helped flip two seats (18A near St. Peter and 26A in Winona), and the margin of victory expanded in nine of the ten districts we won. Our grassroots team assisted a five-point swing our way and a margin of victory of over eight points in defense of House District 36A (Rep. Elliott Engen, White Bear), and all 36A precincts we door-knocked performed better than 2022.
Our volunteers also played an aggressive offense in four progressive districts, producing seismic shakeups of progressive strongholds in partnership with our allies. Four precincts we canvassed flipped our way, and we lost those House races by only thin margins: 1.73% in district 32B (Blaine), 3.82% in 35A (Anoka, Coon Rapids), and 0.88% in 48B (Chanhassen, Chaska). In the special SD45 race, Kathleen Fowke went from losing by a 12.6-point deficit in 2022 to only 4.97 points in 2024—that’s over a 7-point shift.
A Turning Point In Minnesota
Having witnessed this election cycle up close, I realize that the results present a large problem for progressives: Minnesota’s political and cultural landscape is shifting. Shockingly, despite being on the top of the ballot as Harris’s Vice Presidential pick and together winning Minnesota by four percent, our governor did not help his allies maintain power back home. Stories shared by members of our grassroots team revealed a growing sense that St. Paul’s progressive policies no longer resonated with certain groups of voters. The flips of seats in St. Peter and Winona give credence to this phenomenon, and most notably, so does the flip of a third Minnesota House seat: House District 7B, a century-long progressive stronghold in the Iron Range home to many blue-collar workers who demonstrated they feel Twin Cities progressives have left them behind. Conservative House incumbents also widened their margins in Minnesota’s Arrowhead, races won by only a handful of votes in 2022. I met a handful of people who up until recently considered themselves somewhat liberal but felt as if progressives had gone off the deep end with gender ideology and equity lessons in the classroom.
Where does this leave us? Well, Minnesota’s shifting winds present us with an even greater opportunity going forward. Our 2024 grassroots team was only a taste of the change Christians can make when shining a light on family issues for their faith and community, and people across our state are beginning to see how hollow a progressive worldview is. I want to see the Church continue pulling this thread. Think of the impact we can make if more believers in Christ took a risk and trusted God by entering the public arena to stand for families, children, and the vulnerable across our state. Imagine the churches of Minnesota at the forefront of political engagement, using it as another lane to serve the least of these. Most of all, look at how a Christian approach to politics—one that does not place its hope in government and treats every person with dignity—could fundamentally influence our state’s divisive political and social landscape by pointing to Christ. God has rewarded our faithfulness in the 2024 election. Now we must be willing to do what he calls us to next, for the good of the North Star State.
