Delegates from all 87 counties in Minnesota are in Duluth this weekend for the 2024 DFL Convention. Held at the DECC, goals for the convention include endorsing a candidate for U.S. Senator, electing delegates to the Democratic National Convention, and considering amendments to the DFL Constitution and bylaws. 

“We’re really excited to gather here in Duluth to nominate and endorse our candidate for the U.S. Senate Senator Amy Klobuchar. The other thing we’re really excited about is coming out of here unified and ready for this final push for this general election,” said Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin. “We’ve got great candidates running under our banner up and down the ballot here in Minnesota. We’re going to see a lot of energy and excitement this weekend in Duluth, and we’re going to springboard out of here with all that energy, bring that energy and excitement to the rest of the state of Minnesota and make sure we win this November.”

Susy Blake is attending the DFL convention for the first time after moving from South Dakota to Hennepin County. 

“I already can feel the energy that’s here, and it makes me excited to be here,” said Blake. “I am really interested in learning about the Democratic position and how the Democrats operate in Minnesota. It will be exciting to see how the process works and getting the right people elected because we know that’s what makes a difference for the people in the state.”

The DFL Convention started just one day after a New York jury convicted former President Donald Trump of 34 felonies.

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“You had to hold me down for a while because I really wanted to just float off into the sky and scream as loud as I could,” said Blake. “Everyone follows the law. We have to follow the law. That’s what we have to operate by, and so I’m really proud of Joe Biden for staying out of it, for staying away from it, for doing the job we elected him to do. I’m very proud of the jury for being brave enough to take on a trial like this.”

Martin said that while Thursday’s verdict was important, it will not have an impact on the DFL’s plans for November.

“It was a reminder that we are still as a country, a nation that honors the rule of law and that believes that no one, whether you’re a president, a former president or anyone else, should be above the law,” said Martin. “I don’t know what type of impact it will have on the election. Frankly, I could care less. The most important thing for me is that it affirmed one of our core values as Americans, which is that we believe in the rule of law and that no one is above it.”