As mentioned last week, I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday getting campaign training at Camp Wellstone at the University of Minnesota.  www.wellstone.org @wellstoneaction #cwminnesota

I learned a lot about operating a campaign, but my biggest takeaway from this weekend is a sense of optimism even as we endure these dark days of the Trump Presidency. I met many amazing people at the training who decided to get involved in politics after November 8th.

Given my desire to see Melissa Hortman as the Minnesota House Majority Leader after the 2018 elections, I was especially encouraged by the individuals I met who have decided to run for a seat in the Minnesota House. They are high-energy, high-quality, dedicated candidates. And, it seems that every one of them is running against a low energy, long-serving Republican. In addition, the other individuals I met who were getting training on running a campaign, like me, were equally dedicated and highly qualified.

I was also encouraged by the trainers during the weekend. They recognized the challenges of Trump, but have rededicated themselves to training progressive individuals so we can get America back on the right track.

My original thought was to name this post “Optimism and Hope,” but I wasn’t sure if those two words meant the same thing. I googled them. Optimism is being confident of future success, and hope is a feeling of wanting something to happen. After attending Camp Wellstone, I’m definitely optimistic and confident about the future of the democratic party and the progressive ideals we believe in.

Regarding the training I received, I learned lots of campaign strategies and tactics, but the number one thing I learned was that if you want to run for a public office, it’s hard work and time-consuming. To have a chance to win, you should plan meetings, door knock, and make phone calls during the evenings and weekends.  

Some of the outstanding
trainers at Camp Wellstone

One of the high-quality candidates
who plans to run for offices in 2018 –
Jamie Malhberg from Rochester, MN