On this week’s Politics Friday, MPR News editor Mike Mulcahy talked with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison about his prosecution of high-profile cases against former police officers, his fight against wage theft, advocacy for tenants rights and what’s next with the opioid settlement.  

Violent crime is up in Minnesota. Friday at noon on Politics Friday, editor Mike Mulcahy talked with two top lawmakers about how to address it. Plus, a conversation about this week’s forecast showing a $9.25 billion projected budget surplus with MPR News reporters Brian Baskt and Tim Pugmire. 

Is there really such a thing as a "shy Trump voter"? Who is contacted to take part in pre-election polls? And are those polls reliable or not?

In an election week edition of Politics Friday, MPR News politics editor Mike Mulcahy talks all things polling with APM Research Lab managing partner Craig Helmstetter.

Mulcahy is also joined by two local journalists to unpack this busy political week.

What’s being done to confront the coronavirus and stem the economic fallout from the pandemic is central to this year’s election campaigns. That was clear when the candidates in Minnesota’s 2nd and 6th Congressional Districts met in separate MPR News debates.

First, DFL U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (left) and Republican challenger Tyler Kistner, followed by Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer and DFL challenger Tawnja Zahradka.

The debates were separately moderated by Politics Friday host and MPR News political editor Mike Mulcahy.

Sen. Tina Smith and her Republican challenger Jason Lewis sparred over the coronavirus response, public safety, climate change and immigration Friday during a debate on MPR News.

The presidential race isn't the only one on the November ballot. Every voter in Minnesota will get to make a choice for state representative and state senator.

On Politics Friday, the leaders of the Minnesota House and Senate join MPR News political editor Mike Mulcahy to lay out their positions on the issues and make the case for why they should control the agenda at the State Capitol in 2021.

Six months after Gov. Tim Walz first declared the peacetime emergency, where is Minnesota in the response to the pandemic and what will the next few months bring? On this week’s Politics Friday, MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talked with Walz, discussing some of the pressing issues in Minnesota and taking listener questions from around the state. 

In this special edition of Politics Friday, MPR News political editor Mike Mulcahy previews Tuesday’s primary election in Minnesota.

There are a few competitive primaries for seats in Congress — including the 5th District DFL race and the 7th District Republican contest. There are also some interesting legislative primaries in which sitting lawmakers face challenges from within their own parties.

But it’s not politics as usual in Minnesota, as early voting numbers have spiked due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mulcahy talks with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon about the early voting process and what it will mean for counting ballots on primary night.

Mulcahy also talks with North News editor Harry Colbert Jr. about what 5th District residents are hearing from the DFL candidates. Political analysts Todd Rapp and Maureen Shaver run down all the interesting races and look ahead to November.

Guests:

On today’s edition: Minneapolis city council members want to defund the police department; new agenda items for special legislative session

On today’s edition: Results from the latest Minnesota Poll