blois

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.

Community organizer and union activist Aisha Chughtai says she moved to Whittier because it “was the only place I could afford to live,” but found her passion for serving the community. On this episode, hear the Ward 10 candidate discuss community-rooted initiatives relating to public safety from Little Earth to the Community Safety Specialist program, the fight for rent stabilization, and her family’s path from Pakistan to Minneapolis.

As a firefighter for 20 years, Chris Parsons says, “I know a disaster when I see it” – it’s why he decided to run for Ward 10’s open seat to help the city he’s loved since childhood. Hear the candidate talk about the need to hire more officers to confront a “pandemic-fueled rise in crime,” impacts of changes in housing policy, and an issue that could set him apart from the competitive field: his strong stance on Minneapolis acting in the fight to decriminalize marijuana by rethinking how it addresses low-level drug offenses.

Engineer Katie Jones has sustainability on her mind – she asserts that cities can play a huge role in the fight against climate change, from transit to building codes, and she intends to act on these issues should she win the competitive Ward 10 race. In this episode, though, Jones discusses much more than a city’s climate resilience – hear the community builder talk about the city charter and role of staff, the intersection of housing and public safety, and more.

Sheila Nezhad is a longtime community organizer, holds a city budget role with Reclaim the Block, and is looking to be Minneapolis’ next mayor - a candidate whose views on most of the city’s biggest issues are diametrically opposed to those of Mayor Frey. On this episode, hear Nezhad discuss her path to the decision to run for mayor, the meaning and messaging of a police-free future, potential ballot initiatives including a rent stabilization amendment, and, of course, her favorite beer stop in Minneapolis.

Kate Knuth, a former state representative with experience in climate work, decided to enter the race for Minneapolis mayor in what she considers a “critical moment” for the city. Intersecting this year are discussions surrounding the future of public safety, housing and homelessness, the city’s resilience, charter technicalities surrounding the structure of Minneapolis’ government, and much more; in this episode, Knuth discusses her stances on all of the above and her hopes for the community in an election year.

Not only is Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey running for re-election, he’s also dealing with twin crises after one of the most difficult years in the city’s history. Frey joins as the first guest in the new season of ‘Beers with Blois,’ focused on candidates in the 2021 Minneapolis election, to discuss the ongoing public safety debate and divide, rent and housing, preserving downtown, the “strong mayor” government structure proposal floated by the Charter Commission, having a kid during amidst a tumultuous first term, and so much more.

Patty Mueller became involved in local politics after an experience teaching in China gave her a greater appreciation for the United States’ political system, but community members and students alike eventually pushed the southern Minnesotan English teacher to run for state office. Hear freshman Rep. Mueller discuss her far-reaching campaign, necessary changes to the Minnesota education system, her love of spicy food, and more.

Newly-elected Representative John Thompson has long been driven to help his East Saint Paul community by speaking at committee hearings for years, especially empowered by the police killing of his friend Philando Castile, with whom he worked for Saint Paul Public Schools. On this episode, Rep. Thompson discusses his diverse community’s educational needs, legislators’ perception of him as an “activist,” takeaways from his campaign controversy in Hugo, and much more. Plus, listen to the end to hear the Chicago Cubs fan’s favorite cold one stop in his district!