Good morning. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across Minnesota. Get that "I voted" sticker if you want it.

We’ll get a step closer to learning who Minnesota’s next governor will be after primary voting closes tonight. Prominent candidates in both parties are hoping to land a job that Democrats have held since 2011. Several candidates on the Republican side filed to run last year in hopes of taking on second-term Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, especially as reports of fraud in state programs came to the surface. He shook up the race in January with an announcement that he would step aside at the end of his term. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is running against a field of lesser-known Democrats and has picked up the DFL endorsement. Meanwhile, the Republican contest could be a nailbiter. GOP-endorsed candidate Kendall Qualls will face off against House Speaker Lisa Demuth and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, who locked up President Donald Trump’s seal of approval. Winners move on to the November ballot. The job will come with its share of challenges. While stable now, the state budget is headed into rougher waters and a possible deficit looms. Persistent fraud problems have shaken trust in government and created worries among legitimate providers and recipients of social services. Continuing clashes with the Trump administration over federal funding, immigration and more have also put a squeeze on Minnesota. Dana has more on the race here.

GOP and DFL battles in the U.S. Senate primary come to a head tonight. Candidates on both sides of the aisle jumped into the race for U.S. Senate when Sen. Tina Smith announced she would not seek reelection. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig are both hoping to get the DFL nod. The expensive and sometimes caustic primary battle between the two echoes the primary races seen elsewhere in the country with a progressive — Flanagan — taking on a more moderate candidate — Craig. It’s a race that’s likely to leave some hard feelings between some DFLers heading into the fall. On the GOP side, former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze is the state party-backed candidate, but he’s lagged in fundraising and polling. Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster, has the backing of national party groups and has raised much more money than her GOP opponents. She’s been criticized for more moderate views than her opponents on abortion and red flag gun laws, but some see that as an advantage to winning over voters in a general election. Former basketball player Royce White, the party nominee for U.S. Senate in 2024, has taken more hardline MAGA stances than his opponents and has a much more confrontational style. 

“Watching the watchers,” Secretary of State Simon says the state will oversee federal election monitors outside polling places today. Simon said the Department of Justice is sending election monitors to the Twin Cities to ensure Minnesotans with disabilities or who speak other languages don’t face any barriers while voting. “This has been done the last several election cycles under multiple presidents, including President Biden, and Minnesotans may well have voted at a polling place with a federal observer there and not even noticed a thing,” Simon said at the Capitol yesterday. “But I certainly understand why reports of agents of the federal government at the polls would alarm people, especially here in Minnesota.” Simon said the DOJ asked Hennepin and Ramsey Counties to let the monitors inside polling places, but the counties declined. The monitors will have to stay 100 feet from polling locations and voters do not have to speak to them. Simon said his office will be working with the Attorney General’s Office to watch the watchers just in case. He said so far federal monitors have observed primaries in other states without incident. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said the DOJ said it planned to focus on Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and Minneapolis, but may visit other cities.

Our neighbors to the east also have a big primary contest that’ll likely pick up a lot of national attention today. The race for the Wisconsin Democratic Party’s nomination for governor has been chaotic and could offer the latest temperature test on how well progressive Democrats — including Democratic Socialists of America — can fare in the Midwest. State Rep. Francesca Hong has surged to become a frontrunner in the race, focusing on populist issues. She is set to face off against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who has been endorsed by current Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. PBS Wisconsin senior political reporter Zac Schultz broke down the tumultuous race yesterday with Minnesota Now host Nina Moini. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany is expected to win the less-spicy GOP primary in the race.

July was a decent month for Minnesota tax collections, with the revenue coming in 5.9 percent ahead of projections. That’s $133 million above the amounts included in a forecast estimate earlier in the year. Because the fiscal year opens in July, it means the budget year is starting in positive territory. All of the major tax categories — individual income, sales tax and corporate tax — exceeded expectations. The monthly reports only examine the revenue side of the ledger so it’s unclear if the spending side is as rosy. 

The U.S. Senate passed legislation to delay a hemp ban, but it still needs House approval. In an overnight vote Saturday, the Senate approved a stopgap bill to fund federal agencies through December and avoid a government shutdown before the election. The bill also delays a national ban set to go into effect Nov. 12 on most intoxicating hemp products, including popular hemp-derived THC products in Minnesota like gummies and seltzers. Republicans who pushed for the ban said too many intoxicating hemp products sold in brightly-colored packaging are ending up in the hands of small children. Sen. Amy Klobuchar led the effort to delay the hemp ban, saying Minnesota has strong safety measures in place already. Minnesota hemp farmers and businesses have said the ban would be devastating.

Could a rural race in northeastern Minnesota shape control of the state Senate next year? Matthew Blake with MinnPost spent three days driving all around the third district, shadowing incumbent Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, and his Republican opponent Andrea Zupancich, mayor of Babbitt. The Senate race is one of a handful of races that could determine party control of the Legislature. Local issues at the top of voters’ minds include wildfires, healthcare, tourism and mining. Hauschild said he’s worked across the aisle to secure rural ambulance aid and funding for new rescue ships at Grand Marais after the U.S. Coast Guard left. Meanwhile, Zupancich criticized Hauschild’s vote to ban assault weapons and said she wants to see a greater focus on timber and helium. Hauschild has the fundraising edge in the race over Zupancich.

Finally, he’s not on the ballot but would you vote for Senator Jam? Confused? That’s the moniker that Terry Lewis placed on his longtime pal and music collaborator Jimmy Jam. The two sat for a very fun interview with Angela Davis yesterday to talk about their homecoming, which will culminate with a big concert at the State Fair this month. Lewis called Jimmy “Senator Jam” because he says he’s always been the consummate diplomat as the two have navigated life and the rough-and-tumble entertainment world. “He’s taught me how to be better at it,” Lewis said.