That isn’t an asset for some Faith in Minnesota delegates, however: “If you are elected, how will you stand with us and the people of Minnesota against the powerful interests to accommodate the bold solutions we set forth?” Zaman asked. His ability to work across ideological lines is one of the skills he is selling, arguing that the DFL needs to win statewide, not just in the cities. Walz has represented southern Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District since 2007 and is one of just 10 Democrats nationally who have won in what are considered rural districts. “We - Faith in Minnesota - want a candidate who is going to be a progressive champion, not a referee between powerful interests and the people facing oppression from those powerful interests,” said Imam Asad Zaman, the executive director of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota. Tim Walz was told that some delegates were put off by his political persona, that of a moderate who can speak to a wide spectrum of both DFLers and state voters. “I need you in partnership with me and I think that’s a pretty goldarn compelling message.” We need to organize now to deliver on that over the next eight years.” “If we are going to take on the toughest issues that we face - structural racism, a workforce shortage, take on single-payer health care - we need Minnesotans to be engaged and we need to use the campaign to set that stage,” Murphy said. As I listen to Minnesotans across the state, they are very clear that they want more from us and they want more from our politics than we are delivering right now. “We can poll and figure out what are the issues Minnesotans feel most comfortable about and talk about those and never, ever confront the hard issues in front of us. “We can sleep our way through this campaign,” she said. Murphy said she will take on tough issues and not play it safe, a theme she has expressed from early on, and one that she’s employed as both an implied and direct criticism of Walz. I am talking about an honest and progressive vision for the people of Minnesota.” “We have built an infrastructure that we can win in November and we can win in a primary and we can win an endorsement. And I know Minnesota like the back of my hand.” I’ve been in our community centers and our businesses. I’ve been in our farm fields and I’ve been in our mines and our forests. I have been in our schools and our hospitals and our clinics. “I have spent the last 12 years all over the state of Minnesota. Murphy recalled being told by a voter during her first legislative campaign that she needed to represent the whole state, not just a single district. Erin Murphy: “As I listen to Minnesotans across the state, they are very clear that they want more from us and they want more from our politics than we are delivering right now.” And each got to the core of what many DFLers - especially those on the left of the political spectrum - fear is each candidate’s fundamental flaw leading into the convention, which begins Friday in Rochester.

It was like the dreaded “what are your weaknesses” job-interview question - but much more personal. That’s when each of the candidates was asked to address what is the most serious reservation the group’s DFL delegates had about them. Which means that their responses were important - none more so than the one in response to a question posed at the end of each separate 30-minute interview conducted in front of a packed sanctuary at Richfield’s House of Prayer Lutheran Church. That’s more than 10 percent of the convention’s elected delegates. In fact, as the the political arm of ISAIAH - a faith-based coalition of progressive congregations - Faith in Minnesota is expected to have 132 delegates and 70 alternates at the upcoming DFL convention in Rochester, said ISAIAH spokesperson JaNae Bates. But at last week’s Faith in Minnesota candidate forum, one question gave each member of the trio pause, with all struggling to find an answer to satisfy a group that will have a lot to say about deciding who will become the DFL nominee for governor. After months at town meetings, diners, union halls and businesses, you’d think the trio of leading DFL candidates for governor - Erin Murphy, Tim Walz and Rebecca Otto - might have heard every question by now.

Erin murphy tim walz