Bonus Episode: A Break Down About The Battle for Minnesota's Open Senate Seat

[00:00:12] Welcome to The Break Down with Brodkorb and Becky, a weekly podcast that breaks down politics, policy, and current affairs. I'm Becky Scherr. And I'm Michael Brodkorb. We are coming to you live with a special bonus episode on a special day. Happy Valentine's Day to all. Oh. I know. We are pleased to be joined by Will Davis and John Rouleau, two of our favorite partisans.

[00:00:34] As a reminder, Will is a political consultant with ARC initiatives and previously served as research director with the Minnesota DFL and joined or has been on our podcast a number of times, as has John Rouleau. John was just on recently, but as a reminder, John is the executive director of the Minnesota Jobs Coalition and has long been active in Republican politics and campaigning. Yesterday, Senator Tina Smith announced she will not be seeking re-election, so today these two are with us to break down this breaking news.

[00:01:03] With Will and John, we will discuss Smith's decision and announcement and what it means for the seat and the state. We will break down what Republicans and Democrats are considering and who has said no. We will get into who has the best chance and who would be the toughest to beat. And then we will chat about how it pertains to the 2026 governor's race and how the field will split up and what potential candidates may have a better shot at governor versus senator. Thanks for joining us and enjoy the show.

[00:01:28] Before we get into it, I want to throw it over to Will briefly to share a little update. Will, I just want to mention anyone who's been around politics for a very long time, a really special guy, Mike Kennedy. He was also known as Kenner. I think he ran the Senate caucus campaign for 20 years long before my time. I can't remember how long it was, but he passed away a couple of days ago. Truly one of the most beloved people in DFL politics.

[00:01:57] Always just had a smile on his face and a laugh and a slap on the back. Just everyone loved him. Universal. And just my thoughts to his family and friends. Thank you for bringing the wrong thing to say, but I'm sorry. You told me just before we started this live stream and I appreciate you bringing it up and acknowledging it because Kenner was, I knew him. We appeared on multiple panels together and it's really sad to learn those news. He was loved. He was respected.

[00:02:26] He was feared. He was admired. And I thank you for taking some time to acknowledge it, Will. I appreciate it. I appreciate you guys letting me do it too. It's a tough one. Let me tell you. It is a good reminder also for those who don't work maybe in politics or never have, but it really becomes like a family. Whether you're on the same side or not, folks that you have worked on and off with or seen on the campaign trail for years or decades at a time and really does become like a family.

[00:02:53] So I apologize for your loss and we're sending you and his loved ones a lot of love. So we are going to chat all things U.S. Senate race today. Kicking off with just the general announcement. So Senator Tina Smith announced that she was not running for reelection. She was first appointed by Governor Dayton in 2017 following the resignation of Senator Al Franken.

[00:03:19] She was then reelected in 2018 and reelected in 2020 when she beat Jason Lewis by five points. I want to start with and will you're a resident DFL are here. I was surprised about this announcement. Were you was this something that there was percolating at all in the DFL circles or were you guys a little shocked about this as well? I can tell you a few years ago this was percolating. Tina's got some grandkids and she got a big family.

[00:03:47] And I don't think the life of a U.S. Senator is the easiest one in the world, especially when you have a young family. But it disappeared and she was the head of the DS as well. And the thought was she's going to be there for a while. She'd be helping the Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate for a long time. And this just sprung up out of nowhere. I can say that I heard a little bit, but I just assumed it was old rumors coming back around. And yeah, it took a lot of us by surprise. Pretty much my phone died before noon yesterday. That's how surprised everybody was.

[00:04:19] John and Michael, you are two folks who are in the know, get all the inside scoop before a lot of us. Did you have any idea of this or was this a shock to you that she decided to not seek reelection after previously saying that she was likely to? Yeah. We started to hear a pretty steady drumbeat last summer that this was something that was maybe in consideration, but it's something that you always hear. Right. And we take with a big grain of salt.

[00:04:45] Won't surprise anybody that I don't consider myself the best sourced Republican when it comes to internal DFL matters. So by the time that it gets to me, it's made its way through the telephone game. But it was something that we were keeping an eye on. It certainly made a lot of sense from my standpoint, looking at Tina's background, right? Senator Smith is somebody who has not been the consummate career politician. She had a career in the private sector. She moved her way to the nonprofit sector.

[00:05:14] She moved her way to the public sector through, was it Mayor Ryback's office and then over to Governor Dayton's chief and then to Lieutenant Governor. And there was always that forward momentum and forward progress. Looking at kind of her background, it didn't seem like this was a seat that she wanted to hang on to until she was old. So I certainly understand wanting to spend time with grandkids and kids and the fact that she's got family around and nearby.

[00:05:44] So it wasn't a complete surprise that it might be something that would happen. You never know until you know the last time that Minnesota had an open seat for U.S. Senate was 2008. Michael, I know this is when you were really in the depths of campaign party life. Talk to us about what this looks like now versus then. And what do you think this looks like for the overall Senate map?

[00:06:07] A lot of people have said this is the second Democrat who has stepped down in recent weeks, indicating potentially that this means the map, which from some reports and studies looks like it's a toss up in 2026. But what's your take on what this means for Minnesota being an open seat and what it means for the overall map this upcoming cycle? First of all, let me say, Becky, you and I have done a we did a pretty good discussion about New Year's resolutions and setting like improvements and working on that.

[00:06:35] We've done a pre New Year's show and then a post New Year's show. One of the things that I have established is something that I was going to focus on, and I literally started it on the 13th. It was to limit distractions, set call boundaries, only take calls scheduled or essential call. If it isn't urgent, delete it and do an email follow up. So I had my phone on do not disturb for a portion of the morning. Missed 27 phone calls. And that was the day I decided to do this. So really worked out well to have a plan.

[00:07:04] And then you missed 27 phone calls. No, I had heard some rumors that there's some scuttlebutt about this, but Senator Smith had been somewhat definitive that she was going to seek reelection and tampered those down. And so I'm not I guess I'm not surprised. I think it's a confirmation of at least half of some of the rumors that we had heard. I don't know that it has anything really to do with the map per se, because I still think that this is a blue state for Democrats. And there's certainly some opportunities.

[00:07:33] I think 2026 presents one of the best Republican opportunities. I had said and think John and will may and Becky, you guys may agree or disagree. I thought 2022 represented a really good opportunity for Republicans to pick up a statewide race, pick up an opportunity. And I think that although it's going to be a midterm of the second President Trump's first term, I think it's going to be it's going to be an interesting year.

[00:08:01] And there's a there's a lot of opportunities that have presented itself. And it's what it's going to show is it's also going to help Republicans out and Democrats out because it's going to bring in national money. It's going to nationalize more of the race when it's an open U.S. Senate seat. She was the level of candidates that were looking at this before she got out. And now it's an open seat. It's literally night and day. And so all of that influx of money, that influx of attention to the state helps Republicans out and it helps Democrats out. So we'll see.

[00:08:31] Republican or Republican Rouleau. John, give us that your Republican take on this of is this our Democrats starting to get scared of the Republican trifecta in Washington? And what are some of them saying, I don't want to deal with another Trump administration and another four years of this? I think all that you really have to do is look at the 2026 Senate map to see that Republicans remain heavily favored to maintain control of the Senate in D.C.

[00:09:00] Yeah, I think a big piece of that was the fact that Republicans were able to get those three flips this last time when they got Pennsylvania, Ohio and Montana. That really set the bar high for what the Democrats need to do. Looking at the map at what's up, what we have, North Carolina and Maine are probably the two best pickup opportunities for the Democrats. But Republicans also have places that they can look like Georgia and Michigan and now Minnesota.

[00:09:31] So I think, you know, if I was reading tea leaves, I would say that Republicans are strongly favored to maintain control of the Senate. That being said, it's a midterm election. Anything can happen. But right now you would have to rather be the Republicans than the Democrats. Senator Smith had said that she believes if she did run for reelection, she would have won and believes the Democrats will hold on to the seat in Minnesota. Your thoughts?

[00:09:56] Senator Smith It's hard to argue with that, right? What was it, 2006, the last time you folks picked up a statewide? Senator Smith Sure. Senator Smith We don't have any real-time fact-checking, so we'll let that, we'll really disagree if that's your timings, right? Senator Smith And just beyond those just blank factual numbers, you have, you look at the benches. Come on, the benches are pretty starkly different here.

[00:10:19] Senator Smith I think we have a lot of people lined up, ready to go. And I don't, for the Republicans, it's really tough. I can imagine Jensen probably wanting to look at that. I saw Doug Ward, though, tweeting about it this morning. Senator Smith I'm, you know, I'm trying to wish Yes We Jen into existence and bring the mayor of Niswa back. Senator Smith Wow. Senator Smith I can't think of many great opportunities here. I know a lot of folks think Pete Stauber is a contender for some sort of race. He already said he's not running for governor.

[00:10:49] Senator Smith Maybe, maybe this is something he'd look at. But outside of that, I don't, I, it's hard for me to think that they could field anyone who, your last candidate was Royce White for U.S. Senate. So I just, I find it hard to believe anyone who would be quality would get through a primary if anyone of quality would jump in the race.

[00:11:08] Senator Smith We are certainly going to break all of that down, but I will have to push back on considering him our candidate on this call or on this episode. I don't necessarily know that we take ownership of that.

[00:11:19] Senator Smith But before we get into the names on both sides of who's in, who's out, who's considering, I want to get the take from all of you on, is this a seat? Probably a little early to be determined. I assume polls are going to be done. There's going to be a lot of folks looking into this from the national level. But do we anticipate this being a battleground state or battleground seat?

[00:11:41] Senator Smith Minnesota for all intents and purposes. Yes, Republicans have not found success in recent years. Still looks at it as a relatively purple place at some point. So do we think it's going to be a battleground seat? Will it garner some of that national support from the NRSC, from the DNC, from Trump administration or Trump campaign world? John, your thoughts?

[00:12:03] Senator Smith Yeah, I think Minnesota oftentimes is a victim of the national map. And there are places that you would look before you look to Minnesota for a flip. And it really is going to come down to what does that race in Georgia look like? What does that race in North Carolina look like? What does that race in Michigan look like? You can certainly make a case that Minnesota could and should be a competitive state, especially when you compare it to some of the other places.

[00:12:31] Senator Smith That's a lot of the races that we've seen investments in recent years and look at some of the races that we've had, particularly around open seats, where there is a path if you have a quality candidate. And I think some of it will depend on who the Democrats put up, right? They might have a deep bench, but that bench gets a little bit goofy for a statewide race pretty quickly. So I think that there's candidates who the Democrats could pick who probably move this out of reach. And then there's candidates they could pick who expect to see a whole lot of money

[00:13:01] come into the state and work on picking this up. Candidates matter. The national groups, the outside groups, they don't invest in blowouts and they don't invest in suicide missions. Candidate quality is what this is going to come down to.

[00:13:15] I was talking to some friends, colleagues about this, and we're looking back to recent big years here in Minnesota Senate races, 2002 being one of them, when the folks I was talking to thought it was somewhere between $20-25 million that was spent in the state on that U.S. Senate right now.

[00:13:32] A lot of things have changed in the last 20 years. And so the amount of money is likely looking upwards of that if this is a battleground seat. Obviously, sometimes there's what comes first, the chicken or the egg, national involvement, sometimes playing a role in the candidate recruitment and otherwise vice versa. Michael, do you think if we can get some national attention, could it allow us for Republicans to put up a quality candidate against some of the bench that the Democrats have? Do you think that we can make this?

[00:14:00] Because we obviously know the DFL has the money-making machine that the MNGOP just simply doesn't. So I feel like we need some of that for Republicans to be successful here. There's one thing I think I'm an expert on. It's riding the bench because I did it a lot playing sports. I probably sat on the bench more than anyone on this live stream right now. So I know what the bench is. And I wrote it a lot. But yeah, I think John said it the best, which is not surprising because when we have Will and John on and Becky, you two, you guys always say the smart stuff before I can. So it's easy for me just to chime in and agree.

[00:14:30] I think he said it right. Good candidates are going to dictate this race. And I think an open seat changes the dynamic. And I think that's, I think that's, I think John's analysis is spot on. And I think to take ownership in what he said and try to reframe it as my own. Yes, it's going to be candidate quality. And so getting a good, getting a good candidate dictates where the money comes in.

[00:14:50] And John's analysis was right about the map and some of the complications. I think it's, I think in, I will or anyone can push back, but I think that Minnesota, because of the open governor's race, because, I'm sorry, because of the open Senate race and with the governor's race. And because of, I think that, I think the open Senate rates makes Minnesota, gives it a serious look. And also then the next factor will be who are the candidates.

[00:15:17] If the Democrats nominate an A candidate and the Republicans nominate a D minus, which I know a lot about D minuses too, then that's going to dictate how money comes in. But so the Republicans in this particular instance, because there's going to be an X, I think there's a set expectation that whoever the Democrats field is going to be a candidate. Republicans can disagree about how they perceive the quality of the candidate, but it's going to be a top level candidate.

[00:15:43] And so that the requirement then on the Republican side is to offer a candidate of equal and comparable stature if you can. And that's a challenge, but I think that the Republican candidates that I've heard discussed so far, we'll get into that when Becky wants to on this episode. I think that Republicans are, I think are really hopefully going to take the candidate that they pick very seriously. We are just one question away from getting to those names.

[00:16:13] I want your thoughts on this. If Republicans, let's be cautiously optimistic when we hear. Not with Will. Yeah. If Republicans are able to put up a quality candidate, do you see this being potentially a battleground seat? Absolutely. And I completely agree with what John said as well. And it's worth mentioning a lot of money is poured in against Tina Smith even, right? I think Jason Lewis raised a lot of money when he was running and they have gone after that seat very hard.

[00:16:41] I think obviously what we saw with Amy's race, they did a little bit less hard at that one. But against Tina, they always ran hard. They ran hard. I thought Lewis was an okay candidate compared to the rest of the bench. And he brought a lot of money in. And I think there's no reason to believe it was the open seat that there's not going to be a ton of money pouring through the state on both sides. He had a good campaign manager on that race, didn't he? Yeah, Will. What's by the way, Becky? I was in Senate.

[00:17:09] I was his unfortunately unsuccessful congressional race. But thank you. Will, by the way, we tried to show a little respect for elected officials around here. You're calling her. It's Senator Klobuchar, Senator Smith, okay? Yeah, that's right. They have election certificates. You may be on a first-name basis. We've got to elevate the decorum here a little bit, okay? Yeah, of course. Let's get into what everybody wants to talk about, and that's the names. We're going to start focused on the Democrat side.

[00:17:38] So far, those who have come out, and feel free, I've been trying to keep up, but it has been fast and furious out there over the last 24 hours. So far, the ones that I've seen who have said no, former Congressman Dean Phillips, Mayor St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, who has said he is actually running for re-election and announced that yesterday for St. Paul, and former Senator Al Franken. Those ones are out. None of those were really surprising to me. Anybody else on that no list or anybody, any of those shocking to any of you?

[00:18:07] I appreciate Senator Franken answering the question that nobody was asking. Oh, boy. I do, too. You've got to love it. Never misses an opportunity. Wow. Great job. No, that list. I think at one point there was feeling that Dean would have some interest in that. Congressman Phillips, damn it. Congressman Phillips. Former Congressman Phillips. Just joking. But I think that ship has passed, needless to say.

[00:18:37] I think that's long gone. Yeah, no one on that list surprises me. I do think Melvin is destined for bigger and better things. I don't think the U.S. Senate is probably what that would be. Why is, if I may, on former Congressman Phillips, are you saying that ship has sailed? I think one of the biggest mistakes that your party's made has been the not, just not giving him more opportunity to spike the football and say that he was right about a lot of stuff.

[00:19:06] Look, and I've met the former Congressman many times. I think he's a nice guy. But here's what I will say. People look at that through that one lens of what he said. And I didn't disagree what he said, what he was saying at the time either. You have to always be prepared. Never should it be a coronation. That being said, I think it's the way he carried himself throughout that campaign. I think the fact that he made himself be the savior, right? He put himself up as a campaign.

[00:19:32] I think a lot of positions he took were very problematic for any future in the Democratic Party. He was shaking hands with Third Way and all these groups and a lot of Republicans. And he just took a lot of positions. He went log rolling with me. Is that what you're saying? He doesn't have a future because you're log rolling with me? Exactly. Anyone who associated with you, their political career is dead, Michael. Thank you so much. Oh, you're welcome. No, but I just think, yeah, that ship has passed and he's not going to be a candidate in the future.

[00:20:00] I do want to spend a little bit of time on the Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan versus Governor Tim Walls. There has been a little bit of stuff spinning out there of what happened post 2024 election and what happened and a little some power struggles going on there. And so it seems as though there's been a little bit of a situation going on there.

[00:20:26] And then yesterday, immediately following this announcement, we have Flanagan coming out saying, yes, in, I'm running for U.S. Senate. And then we have Tim Walls talking to Politico saying, considering it, not ruling out. So I'm very curious here because I think there are a lot of angles to look at this, but I want the take. And John, I see you smirking over here. So I want to start, kick it off with you. What's your take on this whole hoopla going on with these two and both considering running for U.S. Senate here?

[00:20:55] I appreciate the opportunity to get to post one of my favorite memes yesterday when that got announced that she almost immediately after Governor Walls people floated his name. She went and just said, no, I'm just going to run and just completely undermine that. There's good things and bad things about being the first one through that door. Everyone else is considering she's running. That certainly puts a target on her from the other folks who might be considering this.

[00:21:25] Entertaining nonetheless. And I think that the reporters and the Republicans who I follow were enjoying themselves and watching that play out yesterday. Will, I will let you have an opportunity to share your perspective on the friendship between these two, the relationship we have here and both of them potentially running for the same seat. Yeah, I think none of these folks will don't want their name in the paper a little bit once in a while.

[00:21:54] I think a lot of people had a feeling that Peggy would want a U.S. Senate seat. I think she'd love to go to D.C. and represent us. She'd be the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. And I think if you're the governor, you were just the vice president candidate. And I think you want to keep your name in the paper a little bit, but I would expect that he's going to stay running for governor. I think there's some unfinished business for him. Oh, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

[00:22:24] You got some breaking news on the Breakdown with Broadcore Becky live stream. We're inside DFL operative, highly placed DFL source. Will Davis says Governor Walls is going to run for re-election. I did not say that. I would think that. I'm about as plugged in as John is on this stuff, so I'll tell you. Oh, you too. Yes, you guys are very bashful. Michael, what do you think? I think Flanagan is obviously running for the Senate.

[00:22:53] I think Walls is going to run for re-election. And I think that this, there's been a lot of talk inside the DFL, at least from sources that I've spoken to about the desire that Flanagan's had to retake Senator Wellstone's seat. And this is the opportunity to do it. I think independent of the dynamics between her and Governor Walls, I think this would have been something that she would have done.

[00:23:14] And I think it's going to be very interesting to see how this plays out because, and Becky, I'm going to let you continue to lead this, but I do think there's going to be a challenger to her. I don't know, at least I think, if we want to be consistent with Will's concerns about kingmaking and anointing people, I think there will likely be, to have this not be a coronation, I think there will likely be a challenger. I don't know. I have some ideas, but I want to let Becky steer that conversation.

[00:23:42] But I think that this, if there was, if we are to believe the press reports that there was some frustration, some, maybe some growing pains between Governor Walls and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, this opportunity that Senator Smith has afforded by not running for re-election provides an off-ramp for that relationship to go in different ways.

[00:24:04] And it's a very delicate solution to a potential political relationship that was maybe internally getting a little afraid. And can I just add one more thing here? This is a Senate seat that amongst DFL elected officials has been sought after for a very long time. Tina didn't run for this originally. She was appointed by Governor Dayton. This is not, I don't think this is ever her long-term plan.

[00:24:30] I think there's a lot, I'll just say this, there's a lot of names that have not been floated that I know for a fact have wanted this seat for a very long time. And they're, for whatever reason, in and out of competition for it. They're not realistic to run for it. And Peggy's someone who has wanted it as well. Everyone knows that. And I think she'd be great at it as well. So I don't think this is that much to do with internal strife or anything. I think this is just, this was going to happen when the seat opened up.

[00:24:58] So it's going to be, I think, big news to Senator Klobuchar that no one's really wanted her seat. So great job. Big news to her. I believe me, if she became president, a lot of people would have lined up for that one too. I am not letting you guys off that easy because I want to spin this one a little bit more. So this is formerly Senator Paul Wallstone's seat. We do know that is a big tie, obviously, with Peggy Flanagan as well. Something that she has talked a lot about in her bio, in her kind of path to where she is.

[00:25:25] We did also, there had been some spinning of, was Flanagan maybe given a heads up before Walls on this? On WCCO radio this morning, according to a tweet by Tori Van Oot this morning, Senator Tina Smith did say that she did give the congressional delegation and statewide electeds a bit of a heads up on her decision, but did not give anyone a head start. This kind of is, I would say, an attempt to qualm some speculation.

[00:25:51] There is a shared consultant between Senator Smith's office and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan's office. And so there was a little bit, I've heard it from a couple different folks that that speculation was certainly out there. But what I want, because I want to force you guys to not be as nice as you have been with this, with Flanagan saying, I am in, and Walls saying, I'm considering. If Walls was truly considering, does this kind of cut him off at the knees though?

[00:26:16] Because he either then has to decide, does he want to run over Peggy to run for this seat? And if he did choose to go to Senate when Flanagan has already said she was running for this, would he be successful at running her over? Or does she almost have a leg up here versus the governor's raise? John, I'm going to start with you. Will, I know you're chomping at the bit, but I'm going to make you wait a second. Oh, fine. I don't know that you can look at the last Democratic vice presidential nominee and current governor

[00:26:45] and say that anybody runs him over. That's just the highest ranking elected official in Minnesota is always going to be in the conversation. What I'm looking at is where is the energy coming from? And we see that in years and midterms where the party that is not in power tends to get more of their energy from the more dug in portions of the base. Right.

[00:27:15] And so when you're in power, you want to just keep winning. You want to put up people who align with the people in power. You want to get that when you're in the minority. I think that there's oftentimes a little bit more of that base energy, a little bit more of that. We need somebody who fights type message. And I think that would certainly benefit somebody like Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, who has that track record.

[00:27:40] And that being said, she's not the one who scares me the most of who the Democrats could run for this office. I think that she has a long track record, both as an elected official in the legislature and then as Lieutenant Governor and as an activist. And there's a lot to work with there from a researcher standpoint. But we'll see what that shakes out and where the energy in the DFL is in what we've got a little over a year before endorsing conventions.

[00:28:07] And then we've got a long time before primary day. We'll see where that shakes out. All right. All you. What do you think? First of all, I would point out that the governor's quote in Politico came out before Peggy's announcement. So that kind of puts some truth to the statement that Tina, Senator Smith put out. Thank you, Michael. And I totally agree with John. There's no reason to believe anyone would roll the governor out of any race that he didn't want to run in. So it's just a matter of where he would prefer to be at that time.

[00:28:36] I think they would be happy to go head to head. I think I don't see that holding anything up. I think you'll see some other names as well. But I think Peggy would be a great candidate. I really do. I think she'd be excellent. She's beloved within the party. And I think she has the courage of her convictions as well, which I have always appreciated about her. Michael, any final thoughts on these two before we move on to some other Democrat potentials?

[00:29:01] As someone who got run over by a car, I don't really like the drive over car analogies. I really appreciate that type of stuff. So thanks for that. Thanks for the post-traumatic stress for that. No, let me say this to you in a political context, not actually in physicality. If Walls is the 800-pound gorilla, she's 795. It's their back. It's really close. And so you're talking about two very prominent elected officials.

[00:29:26] I do give advantage, I do think as the sitting governor, I think it's tough to work around him. I think he is in any lane that he would choose. Any office that I think Governor Walls decided to run for in the state of Minnesota, I think he would be the frontrunner. So if he ran for the Senate, I think, I don't know, I think that he certainly would be in Flanagan's lane and she would have to work around him. And so that's the challenge.

[00:29:55] I think both of them are significant political figures with established brands in this state. But in all honesty, I'd give a little bit of the edge to the governor. And so I don't think that, I don't think respectfully, not to take anything away that the lieutenant governor has done. But I think that if the governor got in the race, he would be the frontrunner and would be a pretty significant candidate in the race. A couple other names I do want to get into. Just want to share one final thought.

[00:30:25] I do agree with John. She is not the one that scares me the most as a Republican opponent in this race. But I do think that she has a big oppo book on her side with or against her with. She's more progressive than I think a fair amount of folks that are considering here. I think that she has a little bit of baggage when it comes to some of those thoughts and statements and policy positions.

[00:30:50] But like you said, she certainly does have also the courage of her convictions and I think would be successful. I could see her certainly being successful through the endorsement slash primary process within the DFL party. Why are you guys both afraid of Sharon Anderson so much? Oh, we'll get to who I'm afraid of. Worth mentioning, Tina is one of the most progressive U.S. senators in the entire country as well. So I don't think that has held her back very much.

[00:31:18] I think that her evolution to this seat, though, is so unique that I don't necessarily know that another person or if things would have been the same if she ran in an open seat. Could be wrong, but. Yeah. Fair enough. Actually, can I just say one more thing real quick? Just I don't want to gloss past Senator Smith too fast. I think you did mention it at the beginning, Becky, where how she did not come from elected roles. She came up as a staffer.

[00:31:44] And I'm telling you, if you've ever been around her, that is like bleeding out of her. She is truly, in my belief, the kindest elected official I have met in the state. She is just she's great to her staff. She's great to her family. She's great to anyone around her. I would be at events with my six-year-old daughter and everyone wants to talk to her. And she parts the people like a Red Sea just to come say hi to my daughter. That's just like the kind of person she is.

[00:32:09] And I think not only is Minnesota going to be missing her, but I think the entire country is. Senator, if I can just chime in. I got to know Senator Smith when she was a staffer too. She was an absolute professional. Great to know. And most recently, my son was out in Washington, D.C. and got to meet her. And she was just so delightful. And I think she's a very engaging person. Kind. She was always, obviously, disagree with her on policy issues.

[00:32:38] But in terms of a person, really a good, I think a really good person. I think we also should acknowledge not a lot of drama when she was in office. Obviously, disagreements on votes. And we can all agree that. But about any type of controversy or issues, my memory doesn't come up with them. And I think that her time in office will be remembered as someone who obviously was on the progressive side.

[00:33:03] But in terms of serving the state of Minnesota, there wasn't a lot of distractions or internal strife or drama that prevented her from doing her work. And I think that's a testament of her leadership. I love that. I appreciate you guys giving a little bit of time to that. I think we've all worked with or near candidates who are on the one side of in it for the right reasons, wanting to be public servants.

[00:33:27] And those who are trying to make a name for themselves want the next big thing, trying to get fame and power through the positions. And so it seems like she is the former. So thank you for giving that a little bit more time here. Before I move on to Republicans, some other Democrat names that have been floated. Secretary of State Steve Simon says he is weighing a bid. Congresswoman Omar has said that she will be talking with Minnesotans about the future of the DFL or of the Senate seat and the DFL party in Minnesota.

[00:33:55] Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison are both Congresswomen for Minnesota who have been floated here. I will start with first, feel free to add any others that I did not say. I will start this other portion by saying Angie Craig. Congresswoman Angie Craig is probably one who, as somebody that a Republican would have to go up against, is, I think, has potential to be the toughest to beat. I think that she has been very, very purple.

[00:34:22] I think that she has a unique constituency that she can pull from across the country. I think that she has proven herself as keeping her head down and getting to work. We have talked about her a lot over the last couple of years. And she is somebody that also does not seem to be into the drama, into any of that outside noise and really has worked hard for her district. And we saw this, what she has done with this district, moving it from two points to five points to 14 points,

[00:34:51] especially being a district that has some really red areas in it. She, to me, is somebody that has also been a very prolific fundraiser for her district. She's who I would be pretty nervous about in a general election. John, is she your toughest one or do you have a different toughest one? Hey, I don't think anybody, Congresswoman Omar, shouldn't let anybody tell her that she wouldn't be a great candidate for this race. And I hope that she jumps in and gets in on the party. A plus, John.

[00:35:21] But don't let anybody bully you out of this one, Congresswoman. Looking at that, Congresswoman Craig is an interesting one in that she has governed in a unique way. I think that she would probably have difficulties in an endorsement in primary. But this is someone who touted being endorsed by the Police Association last cycle in Minnesota.

[00:35:46] Yeah, I'd have to double check, but I think that the second congressional district is the only district in the state that moved more Democratic in 2024 than previous cycles in 2020. So that's certainly something to watch. And I think a lot of that has to do with her, the way that she has governed, right? She's been very accessible. She's been an approachable member who takes care of her constituent services, which is always an important thing to do as a member of Congress.

[00:36:14] But it also is staking out kind of those positions where she's willing to say that she'll go agree with kind of the 60% instead of towing the party line, but without really abandoning her principles, I think. So she comes off as authentic and she is a juggernaut when it comes to raising money, which is a big piece of this election.

[00:36:37] That being said, where we have seen the most success come in these Senate races doesn't come from legislators and current elected officials over the last couple of cycles. My eyes are looking at what's out there on the DFL bench, who are the community leaders, the business leaders, who could make this a really interesting race. And I think somebody who doesn't have that legislative background, who doesn't have that vote record, is something that I would watch for that would concern me.

[00:37:07] Is where can the DFL find a center-left business person or community leader who has that built-in brand and the ability to get those resources? Will, any thoughts on these folks considering? Others that, names that you might have heard that I didn't mention? I will say this about Angie. She is tough as nails.

[00:37:28] I always make the joke, if you were going to like a Batman movie where he breaks the pool cue and he leaves a couple people in with the one, she would come out of that room every single time. She's so tough and she's really smart and she knows her people in her district inside and out. And I think she would do that work running for a statewide as well. I don't think, I can't think of any other names that jump out at me just yet as obvious. I don't suspect Congresswoman Morrison would jump in.

[00:37:58] She just moved into that role. I don't have a long list at this point. I would have had a long list a couple of years ago, but I think redistricting changed some of that. And I think just people coming and going changed some of that. But I think those are probably the biggest names that we're going to see coming out of the DFL. Michael, any final thoughts before we move on to the right side? I don't think I've ever wills labeling of someone as this is someone who'd be willing to stab someone with a busted pool cue.

[00:38:28] That's a great standard. That's tough. That's as tough as it gets. It's a great job. Yes. Rhetorically. Rhetorically, yes, of course. I shook my head when John said juggernaut to describe Congresswoman Craig because that's the exact word that I was going to use. And so thanks, John. You stole my right out of my brain. It was an absolute. His description is apt and it's perfect. I live in the second congressional district. She has a political operation down here. She is an effective legislator, member of Congress. She is everywhere.

[00:38:58] Great constituent service. Continues to get her margins continue to grow in every election. I think that Congresswoman Craig is in the absolute same tier of U.S. Senate candidates that Walls and Flanagan would be. And I think in many ways she may be stronger because of her ability to, I think, to appeal to potentially, in the case of Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, more of a broader base of political support. She comes from a different wing of the party.

[00:39:26] But Congresswoman Craig is an A-plus candidate if she gets in the Senate race. And she would be as close to, I think she is probably the toughest political competitor to, if Walls were to get in, which I don't think he is, but certainly to Flanagan. And I think that she has all of the bona fides and all of the credentials and all of the track record and history to show that she could win that race. I want to move over to Republicans.

[00:39:54] And with acknowledging there that we know that these conversations are going to continue, there are certainly lots of things to look at when we look at the endorsement, the primary, and the general election in which candidates have potential to be successful at which stage of that. But going over to the Republican side, we certainly, our bench is certainly a little bit different than the Democrat side.

[00:40:16] I do think that there is, again, I always want to be cautiously optimistic, especially if we're able to get a quality candidate, get that national support. I do think this can still be a race that Republicans could win. But let's start with those who have said no. We have former Governor Tim Pawlenty has said no. I will let you guys get to any thoughts on these two here shortly, but I'll give my opinions first because I'm running the show right now.

[00:40:42] Governor Pawlenty, the only thing that surprises me about this is he has been a little bit more out there supporting President Trump, supporting the Trump administration on some national news in recent weeks, months. So it did appear that he was potentially dipping his toes back in this water a little bit. So it doesn't surprise me, but with that in consideration, I thought maybe he would play the considering game for a little bit here. And then Congressman Tom Emmer, he said he's focused on Minnesota 6th.

[00:41:11] He has put out a statement or a tweet saying, I am focused on doing the job I was elected to do, and that is serving the great people of Minnesota 6th Congressional District here in Congress. We have a lot of work to do to implement President Trump's agenda, and that is where I'm concentrating my efforts. Ruliantly written statement from a communications professional that does not say no. I don't take this as a no. I think that we'll chat up a little bit about the end after we get through some of these names.

[00:41:36] But I think if this is determined to be a battleground state for on the Republican side, a Trump anointment is going to be gold here. And I could see that being a Congressman Tom Emmer. So if President Donald Trump says, Congressman Tom Emmer, I want you, I choose you, you are the chosen one, let's go. I absolutely think Congressman Tom Emmer would step into that role. He has been in leadership in the House. He has potential to either be run for governor or run for Senate, whether it's this time around or in the future.

[00:42:05] So he has said no, but that's a pretty weak, wavering no from my book. And I love Congressman Tom Emmer, so take that for what it's worth. John, let's go over to, actually, let's change it up because I think I let John go first on the Democrat side. Will, any thoughts on these two? Yeah, I think Tim Pawlenty is probably time has passed in the Republican Party. And you mentioned, sorry to break it to you, your neighbor there in Egan, Michael. Actually, I was just passing note. Sorry, he's not willing to stab someone with a blue cue, apparently, okay?

[00:42:35] Which is apparently your standard. This morning, Congressman Emmer was on a local radio show and they were asked what GOP Senate candidate, what requirements they should have. Name recognition, fundraising ability, and allying with Trump. I don't think Tim Pawlenty would check that box. I do think Tom Emmer would, but, and I'm not a historian on this thing. Just has anyone ever that high in leadership in Congress ever made a jump to the other side? I don't think I've ever, I remember that happening.

[00:43:04] And would he want to do that? They own all three levels of government and he's going to jump and be bottom of seniority in the U.S. Senate. I don't see, and also he'd be leaving to fight a dogfight in that Senate race too. It's not like he'd be handed that. So I just, I find it pretty hard to believe he would jump in. John, you're nodding along. Leaving a safe congressional district where you're the third highest ranking Republican in Congress to become the junior senator from Minnesota.

[00:43:34] Maybe if you're able to flip this district, I just don't see the appeal there. You certainly know Congressman Emmer better than any of us, but that would be a big team player, roll of the dice type move. So I just, as I look at our congressional delegation, I think they're all in places that make a lot of sense for them. And then Governor Pawlenty, I think, is always kind of part of that conversation.

[00:44:02] There's maybe a little bit of that desire to get the band back together, but not super surprising that he would take a look elsewhere. Michael? Michael? I'm disappointed, and I'm like one day away from just holding my breath until one of them says it. I'm just going to pout because it frustrates me so much. Yes, I would, it would be great. I think it would be great if Congressman Emmer were to run, and I want to live in a world where there's a political future for former Governor Tim Pawlenty. I think he's been great, and I wish that one of them would have gotten in.

[00:44:31] I understand the reasons, but I'm not letting the dream die that they're going to run for office here statewide. Some, again, some, I'm not going to let the dream die that they may run for statewide office again here in Minnesota. I think it died with a 2018 gov primary. Okay. Last thing I will say on Emmer before we move forward is I do think he is one of the ultimate team players. I do think that if it comes down to needing a U.S. Senate seat or Minnesota 6th Congressional District is obviously going to go Republican,

[00:45:01] I could see him making that shift with also, I would say, probably a deal being made of some role in the administration should he not be successful in the Senate seat. So more to come from that. I'm not ruling it out, but valid points from all of you about his leadership position, about him being a good partner in the House, and that moving forward. I want to keep us going with time here because we are already, man, you guys, we've already coming up on an hour here.

[00:45:28] So getting through some other Republicans, Congressman Pete Stauber has, is quasi considering. He did put out a statement not so much about himself, but about the seat in general. Minnesota needs a much better voice in the U.S. Senate seat than they've had. Republicans in Minnesota must nominate someone who will fight for all Minnesotans and our way of life and not promote extreme socialist ideologies that have devastated Minnesota and our communities. Let's raise our expectations. Completely concur, Stauber. I think that is a great little statement there.

[00:45:57] Other names that I have seen floated here of folks who are considering Representative Kristen Robbins, who we just had on for our 100th episode, and Michael shared that he was floating her name or said her name should be on the shortlist for the 2026 governor's race. She is considering. She is somebody who came up working in Congress, has a good private background. And then Senator Julia Coleman. She is Norm Coleman's daughter-in-law. Senator Karen Housley. She ran for Senate previously.

[00:46:25] She said she is considering, but she is currently focused on the Minnesota legislature. And then Ryan Wilson, who ran in 2020 and got really close there as well. John, we'll throw it to you. Any thoughts on these folks or others you may have heard of that are considering? The only one that I would add to your list is Adam Schwarzie announced yesterday, who Adam is a former Marine and Navy SEAL. So he briefly took a look at CD3, I think, a few years back

[00:46:54] and then has been fairly involved in kind of the activist level, hosting some events and traveling around in those circles. So an interesting bio, fairly similar to Sheehy in Montana. I'll be curious what else comes of this. Legislators haven't had the best luck historically in Minnesota and nationally going from the legislature to Congress or Senate.

[00:47:21] That Senate jump is a really big jump in terms of infrastructure, fundraising needs. And you need something with kind of that X factor. We've seen more success come from the business background. And that's one reason that somebody like Ryan Wilson could make this really interesting. He, what, ran for auditor a couple of years ago and the closest that a Republican has come since Norm Coleman lost this seat.

[00:47:47] So that's certainly something he's got an interesting background in kind of the business community as an attorney and very involved with his community, but also as somebody who was pretty publicly out there supporting President Trump and J.D. Vance this last election cycle, whether it was pulling together a fundraiser with J.D. up here and raising a significant amount of money or writing op-eds. But he was one of the kind of the few people who was outspoken in supporting that ticket.

[00:48:17] So that one could be really interesting. Schwarz, it could be really interesting. I think there's some names that folks haven't started talking about who are probably more from that business community celebrity type angle who will consider it. But based on the fact that my phone died yesterday early afternoon, I can say that people are indeed interested in this seat, whether it's potential candidates, but also people from D.C. are paying attention to this. They're not writing this off.

[00:48:47] And there's a lot of those who do you know who's looking at it, who would consider it conversations going on. I don't know that we've seen the name of who that person is yet on those lists. Personally, I think Ryan Wilson would make a better gubernatorial candidate than a Senate candidate. That being said, I think he'd be formidable and will mention the importance of having somebody who's on board with President Trump but can raise money.

[00:49:13] And yeah, Ryan Wilson checks that box of the list of people who you mentioned, Becky. Absolutely. We will have a brief convo about that governor angle here shortly. Michael, you tweeted yesterday or retweeted, Ryan Wilson had posted, Senator Tina Smith's exit shakes up Minnesota 2026 races. GOP has a real shot at winning the governor's race, a Senate city or both. We need strong candidates who support President Trump's agenda and can harness his momentum to win.

[00:49:41] You tweeted that as we must also add him as on these lists when we're looking at 2026 contenders. Talk to us a little bit about him and some other folks on this list. Yeah. Regarding the tweet, I think, and John touched on it, I think very eloquently, which is Wilson has, in that tweet, I noticed his association and he was staking the claim as association with President Trump. Obviously, Becky, we interviewed him. He had a pretty expansive op-ed making the case why, in response to my op-ed, but a very

[00:50:11] expansive op-ed about why the suburbs needed to support a Trump advance. He was out there publicly. He seems to be, and he's someone who I think is very comfortable based on work that he's done with his association. I think he's staked out that claim. And I think, in all honesty, that's where I think this, I think is where this race will be. And I think someone has to be able to have that association with Trump yet understand the need to win across the state.

[00:50:39] And I think John articulated very well why I think Wilson should be added to any Senate list and potentially a governor's race because he's been out there, argued some cases in front of the Supreme Court. He was the one who argued, I think, on the Curtis Johnson race and was successful. And so that kind of legal mind, that kind of ability to stand up and talk in front of the Supreme Court and then message and do what he is, I think he's got a lot of potential. Julia Coleman is an interesting name.

[00:51:07] The fact that she's a state senator, her father-in-law is the former U.S. senator of this race. I think it's going to be interesting to watch. There's just a lot of dynamics here. And I think there is going to be some interplay between the governor's race and Senate. The one thing I don't want to take us too off track, Becky, is, is the, is what's the, is it based on the dynamics of who it's looking right now as the Democratic front runner, which I think is the lieutenant governor Republicans best to nominate a woman.

[00:51:37] Is that a factor in some of this stuff? Because I think that's going to winnow out and shape some of the list a bit because there is obviously a lot of dynamics that can go on in that type of situation with Kristen Robbins, Coleman. I'd be very curious how the party fares out in that way in terms of who the nominee is. I personally do believe that this seat in particular, being a, from a retiring senator that is a

[00:52:04] female with the lieutenant governor, I think a woman candidate from the right, obviously, I think does just give a little extra oomph behind that identity politics equality side of things that I think folks, whether you claim you look at that or not, do. And I would love that lady here, but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that also a male could step in and be successful here.

[00:52:30] I personally agree and we'll chat more about some of our legislator when we chat here briefly about the governor side of things. But I agree. I think some of those legislators have a great shot at the governor's race, tougher poll for U.S. Senate here. I love the idea of having somebody that's somewhat of an outsider that can, has been involved, has a business background, Ryan Wilson or the like is certainly appealing to me. Looking, I'm sure more names are going to be coming out, but Will, I want to get yours before we get off.

[00:52:59] Any thoughts on these names? Yeah. And I know we're up against it, so I'll be quick. I think two candidates that you mentioned that I was a DFL person, if they were on the ballot, I would, I would know we'd have a tough race. Are the two women legislators you mentioned, Coleman and Robbins. But I also think both of them would have a very tough time coming out of a statewide GOP primary. And we've seen this, like we saw what happened with Governor Pawlenty in that situation.

[00:53:25] I think Wilson was the best candidate on their ticket last time around for what that's worth. There's not a whole lot there. A couple other names I was thinking, I don't know if maybe, I think Jensen is a very real possibility. I think we all know he's not done. He's going to be running for something. Maybe Senate is not his thing. And when his acting career is over, maybe Jeff Johnson would want to jump back into the mix here. I don't know. Right. He was in the Super Bowl ad. He's in the Super Bowl ad. Yeah. And I think, and I put out a Twitter poll yesterday and the runaway winner was Royce White.

[00:53:53] And surely he's going to be running for something again. You never know. But no, I do think those two would be very formidable. I spend my days looking at the Minnesota Republicans and all the dynamics and coming out of a primary really seems unlikely to me. Any final thoughts from anyone on we, yes. Where other names that I, Jason Lewis, whether he, I haven't seen a definitive statement from him. Royce White, we know is going to be trying to run for something this next time around.

[00:54:21] Anybody who we want to throw out there before we get, get on and close out by chatting about the governor's angle. I did mention earlier, but Doug Wardlow did throw his hat into it a little bit this morning as well with a tweet. You really are trying to make Fetch happen. I want to say that a lot. So desperate. Perfect. Ahead of Senator Smith's big announcement, the big upcoming race in 2026 was going to be the governor's race. I think that we all have chatted walls.

[00:54:49] Likely if he's going to run for something, we could all see it being a third term for governor. So yet to be determined on that. Obviously, any Democrats coming out for this is all dependent on whether he is running for that. Sure, there could be an opponent, but I don't think that is as likely as we often see on the Republican side. And I think, John, you alluded to this a little bit. I think that there are a lot of those names of folks, either current or former legislators, that we would see potentially better suited for a governor's race.

[00:55:19] And some of those, I think, are great candidates. I think Representative Kristen Robbins fits this position candidacy really well. I think we have, I'm still always going to stand behind my gal, Senator Michelle Benson, if she decided to give another run at it. And Speaker Damath has obviously really made a great name for herself, been a really good messenger. And of course, one of my favorite friends and somebody who I would love to see in a position like this, Representative Harry Niska.

[00:55:44] I think we do have a lot of really strong messengers, some of the strongest messengers on the Republican side that we've had in a really long time who have been really good, really committed and cohesive, working for, working together, working for a forward mission of what we need in this state and what we should work for. I do think that I am more excited about the governor's race than I have been in a while. Obviously, a uphill battle. We need lots of millions of dollars. But John, your thoughts on some of those legislators.

[00:56:15] Who did I miss? Who potentially from our Senate conversation could be better suited here for governor? And who do we want to run? I'm also excited about that race. And one thing that I'm watching is on the DFL side, what does that start to shake out? Does it look like Tim Walls is going to run for governor again? Does it look like there's going to be a messy DFL primary for Senate? I think the energy and the enthusiasm on the Republican side is going to follow wherever Governor Walls goes.

[00:56:43] I think there's some, he's got a national profile now. There's the ability to raise a little bit of money off of him. He certainly has a little bit of a brand that I think the online right would be excited to send those small dollar contributions to fight back against him. I would expect to see that our strongest candidates will go wherever Governor Walls goes. That being said, I think we do. We have a lot of folks who are good messengers.

[00:57:08] We have a lot of folks who have interesting backgrounds that are outside of the legislature. I, you know, that'll be a choice that the party and the delegates need to make is do we want somebody who has a proven track record and is a messenger? Do you want somebody who's a little bit more of an outsider? Do you want somebody who can raise the resources? One thing that's interesting on the gubernatorial race is that I think that fundraising differential

[00:57:34] is a little bit lower where you've got the ability to tap into PCR, where you've got the ability to raise in smaller increments than the senatorial max out level. And then you also have that cap on how much you can raise and spend if you decide to take PCR and take the public subsidy is if you only need to raise $5 million, that's something that

[00:58:00] you can take a look at because that's where the cap is, as opposed to a Senate race where, you know, there is no cap. You need to just go and the max out is higher and you need to raise money from other states, other sources, really grow that national network. So maybe that does open up the gubernatorial race to some other people. But I think who can capture that energy, who can sell a vision of victory,

[00:58:27] and who is going to be able to tap into the Donald Trump network is really going to be a big difference maker. Well, I want you to pull deep into your heart who, if Governor Walz is our third, running for a third term, are any of these Republicans or any other? Who would you be maybe in amongst the top one or the top two toughest that would potentially have the best chance to win on the Republican side?

[00:58:56] I said, you really framed that up pretty tough for me, Becky. I think Ryan Wilson is probably the one I think would probably make the toughest candidate. That being said, when all is said and done, I would have my money on Jim Schultz being the candidate, which I would be very fine with indeed. And, but I, beyond Wilson, who I just think is just, he's a tough nut to crack. He seems to be able to balance the Trump stuff with the just like normal politician stuff.

[00:59:23] I don't have another name for you that I would genuinely be nervous about. That is realistic in that race. Obviously, Emmer and Stauber would be formidable, but I don't think they're running. I don't have a quality name for you that I think that I would be genuinely nervous about. Michael, who do you like from this list, from Jensen, Wilson, Schultz, former candidates? Anybody? Who's your top of the ticket? Who do we like? Who's on your short list?

[00:59:51] I think I agree with a lot of the consensus here. I think that the toughest Republican candidate, I think, against Governor Walz would probably, I think, would be Wilson. I think that's really, I think he'd be a strong candidate, but I don't know how the race is going to shape up. One of the things I'm interested in is if Walz runs for a third term, now that Flanagan has announced he's running for the U.S. Senate, do we have, does Will have any insight on who the lieutenant governor pick would be? I don't right now.

[01:00:20] I actually haven't quite thought about that, Michael. I think, I know that there are some names being floated around. I don't know who would be obvious right now. I think there's some young legislators in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area who I think would probably be a pretty good fit, though I don't know. I don't know who would be close enough to the governor that would be, that he'd be considering them regardless. I don't, there's no one obvious sticking out to me on that at all. Go figure it out and come bring it back to us.

[01:00:50] I'll bring it back to you when I hear some names floated. Yeah, so I always want to disclose when we talk about the governor's race is that I endorsed the governor in 2022 and I was a Republican for Harrison Walls in the past election cycle. Yeah, maybe you. Maybe you do. Take what I say about the Republican side of the aisle from that perspective. And so I want to always make sure I disclose that and get ahead of it before Becky did. Perfect. I think either way, this is really shaping up to be a rather exciting 2026, one that I

[01:01:17] did not have on my bingo card here at the end of the last election and heading into this year. I am very excited to have this platform to be able to talk about it and share all of the gossip and the scoops and send it our way if you have any folks that you want to see run for office. But it's going to be exciting. I think there is a lot of potential on both sides of the aisle for these seats. And hopefully, I'm just going to give one last plea and manifest into the universe that

[01:01:46] hopefully Republicans can endorse a good candidate, get a good candidate through the primary and put up a good race for both the U.S. Senate and governor in 2026. And we will just keep our fingers crossed for the next year and a half there. But Michael, I will throw it to you to send us off. I want to thank everyone on this show for coming on today. It was just hands down. This is my favorite episode. Everyone is my favorite, but this one really is. And I just want to thank all the insight that you all offered perspectives.

[01:02:15] And I want to thank all of our listeners for joining us for this bonus episode of the breakdown with Rod Carver and Becky. Before you go, show us some love for your favorite podcast by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or the platform where you listen. You can also follow us on our website and across all social media platforms at BB BreakBod. The breakdown with Rod Carver and Becky will return next week. Thank you for spending your Valentine's Day with us. We'll see you next week. Bye. Love you, Mike Kennedy.