Good morning. Thank you to all the veterans.

U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer will remain in Republican leadership after an internal party election yesterday. Emmer staved off a challenge from Texas Rep. August Pfluger to win the position of House minority whip. He moved up the power ladder one rung after House Speaker Mike Johnson stepped down from leadership and Rep. Jim Jordan was chosen for minority leader . The party's whip tallies votes within their caucus and rallies attendance for key votes and proceedings. Emmer has served as majority whip since 2023. Following the election, Emmer said he would hold Democrats to account come 2027. “To our colleagues on the left, enjoy this honeymoon phase, because come January 3, 2027, you will regret ever putting your name on a ballot,” Emmer said. “House Republicans will hold each and every Democrat accountable for every vote cast, every committee hearing held and every sentence said on MSDNC.” The last bit was a reference to the station formerly known as MSNBC; it goes by MS Now these days.

Several candidates who were inspired to run by the federal immigration crackdown have won offices in Minnesota. MPR’s Winter Keefer runs through the Operation Metro Surge-inspired candidacies . They include mayors, city council members and county commissioners. The new Columbia Heights mayor, Rachel James, said she felt compelled to run after her child’s school district was shaken by immigration actions, including the detainment of Liam Conejo Ramos. The Fridley city council is also in for a makeover, with two winners saying the enforcement surge was a catalyst in their decisions to run.

Amy Klobuchar isn’t the only senator leaving for a governor’s office next year. Republicans Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama also won governor races back home. Tuberville’s seat was on the ballot and a fellow Republican won. Like Klobuchar, Blackburn had won a six-year Senate term in 2024. She’ll be in line to appoint her replacement because she won’t be inaugurated to the governor’s office until mid-January. Tennessee law allows that interim pick to serve until the next scheduled general election, which is in 2028. Klobuchar’s replacement will have a shorter runway. Minnesota is unique in that there will be an off-year special election. Consider this: the presidential race will be ramped up by then and the first primaries won’t be far away when Minnesota voters decide on a senator next year. That means presidential hopefuls of both parties are sure to tromp through to do their part. Buckle up!

Circle Dec. 3 on your calendar for the release of the state’s fall economic forecast. It’s the comprehensive look at tax and spending projections that will set the tone for the next Legislature and incoming Gov. Amy Klobuchar. It’s more critical for Klobuchar because the figures are the ones she’ll use to build a budget proposal from. That will be due to the Legislature only weeks into her term. Lawmakers, in this case the DFL majorities, can wait until a fresh report in late February is out before they set their budget bills in motion. Despite earlier suggestions the state could be headed for a potential shortfall, the most-recent tax reports have shown strength. But Minnesota also has to contend with money being withheld for Medicaid by the federal government, which has cited fraud concerns. A lot of unknowns will make this forecast somewhat shaky.

Also circle Dec. 17 on your calendar as the next big public step in establishing the newest fraud watchdog office. A legislative commission tasked with narrowing a list of finalists for the Office of the Inspector General lead role will meet for only its second time. The bipartisan commission has until the end of this year to recommend candidates to the governor to fill the important role. There were 37 applicants for the job , which is billed as an independent entity to keep tabs on government programs and investigate when something appears to be amiss. First round interviews are expected to be done by Thanksgiving and the next round will be in December. The Dec. 17 meeting could be the one where finalists are interviewed and considered for recommendation to the governor. Once appointed, the nominee has to go before the state Senate for a vote and a three-fifths majority is needed to confirm the director. Then, they’ll have to build an office from the ground up.

Former Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka has his eyes on a key regulatory role. Gazelka tossed his name in for a possible Public Utilities Commission appointment. Gazelka, of East Gull Lake, formally applied on Monday. That’s the entity that deals with rates and rules for power, telecommunication and pipelines, among other things. The commission has geographic and party balance requirements: No more than three of the five members can come from the same political party and at least one must be from outside the seven-county metro area. The pay is nice: $182,533 per year. Governors make the pick but Senate confirmation is also a consideration. Republican commission member John Tuma is retiring and that’s the position due to be filled by early next year (first reported by Blois Olson via Tuma’s Linked In notice). None of the other appointees are up before 2028. Former state Rep. Greg Boe of Chaska is also on the list of applicants; he’s currently a director at Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative. Mike Bull, who formerly served the PUC on staff and who is also part of utilities regulatory affairs now, has also put in.