Friends,

I've been trying to figure out just how to handle this week's newsletter. I'm really trying to keep it short, but there's so much happening that I want to share -- so keep reading!

It's been a minute (ok, 6 weeks) since I've put together a comprehensive newsletter -- the communication you've received from us in June was all project-specific. Early in the month we hosted a really successful and inspiring What We Can Do Week, (thanks to everyone who participated) and then on the 22nd we released our 4th annual The State of Bipartisanship Report.

(If you are connected with me on facebook or LinkedIn, you might know what happened after the report release -- we'd planned five press conferences in three days, and in between press conference one and two, I fell off a curb while walking backwards, and broke my foot*. Whoops! That meant postponing the rest of the press conferences. We're definitely not canceling them -- the point of press conferences is to use our platform to celebrate the legislators who are doing exactly what their constituents are asking for: working across the aisle. And I'm not letting a broken foot get in the way of elevating their good work! So more on that later this fall.)

Speaking of later this fall... today we're launching our theme for the 3rd Annual Purple Party we host every second Saturday after election day in November. It's always been a celebration of democracy, and we're putting a little extra emphasis on public servants this year. Keep scrolling down to see what I mean.

We know this is a busy (and noisy) election season already, and a lean funding environment. If you happen to have a few extra dollars, this would be a VERY good time to put them to work. We're an excellent bang for your buck, I promise!

Thanks for reading, thanks for your support, and I hope to see you soon!

Shannon

Shannon Watson

Founder & Executive Director

*As annoying and unexpected as breaking my foot is, I'm following Dominic's lead and remembering that it could have been much worse. This is exactly the kind of thing that insurance is for!

The State of Bipartisanship in the News

Majority in the Middle Celebrates rise in Bipartisanship from KEYC

Bipartisanship, Behind Closed Doors in MinnPost

Lawmakers Still Work Together Regularly at the Capitol in the Star Tribune

Help Us Get Ready for the Purple Party!

Join Majority in the Middle on Saturday, November 14, for an evening of music, food, fun, and some words of appreciation as we recognize Minnesotans completing their public service in elected office in 2026.

Across Minnesota, thousands of people serve in elected offices. Much of that work happens outside the spotlight. It requires sacrificing family and career time, difficult decisions, public scrutiny, and a willingness to take responsibility for the communities we share.

At this year’s Purple Party, we will celebrate and thank elected officials from across the state who are concluding their service and will recognize the often-unsung contribution they (and, let's be honest, their families) have made to Minnesota’s civic life.

To prepare, we need your help! Do you know an elected official retiring in 2026 (or technically early 2027, for those who's successors are sworn in the first or second week of January)? Help us make sure our honoree list is as complete as possible. Add their name to our Honor Roll here.

Save the date now, and keep an eye on this space. More details about the party will be shared and tickets will go on sale soon.

Aligning our Snowplows 
(aka "News from Friends and Partners")

Mary Lahammer did a great story for TPT Almanac about the Citizens League's Minnesota Legislative Exchange starring Reps Keith Allen and Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, and executive director Jake Loesch.

Minnesota: Land of Neighbors
Back in December, when a group of foundations launched a grant opportunity to put together a Minnesota Values Campaign, I was really nervous that a superficial "The More You Know" kind of public service campaign would come out of it. So I was delighted that our friends Libby Stegger (Civic Bridgers), Nathan Stock (Common Ground USA), and Wilk Wilkerson (Braver Angels) were leaders of the team that won the grant. Keep up with the campaign and contribute your own thoughts here.

Tuesday, August 11 - Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote!

Minnesota’s Primary Election Day is Tuesday, August 11.

A primary election determines which candidates will be on the ballot in the November general elections. Primary races are incredibly important to weigh in on, so make a plan to vote!

Find your sample ballot on the Minnesota Secretary of State website and make a plan to vote -- by mail or in person June 26 through August 10, or in person on election day August 11!

More money we have = more good we can do

You can use any of these platforms for giving year-round:

Anedot - our baseline donor platform (same thing you'll find on our website)

GiveMN - not just for

Give to the Max day!

Benevity - does your company use this? See if they'll match your gift!

Majority in the Middle is a 501(c)3, so all donations are tax deductible!

Why we're divided... and what you can do next

If you want to learn more about Why We're Divided, without focusing on specific politicians, try viewing our TEDx presentation.

The video can be found on the TED YouTube channel here.

Speaking of Speaking...

If you are part of a business, civic or community group that would like to have a presentation or a speaker to talk about division, politics, making your advocacy bipartisan, or something similar please reach out to Shannon.

Upcoming speaking engagements and trainings:

July 23 - Association of Labor Relations Agencies (ALRA) annual conference

August 4 - League of Women Voters of Minnesota August Academy

October 22 - Woodbury Chamber of Commerce

Majority in the Middle has three rules for our newsletter:

1. We never sell or share our list.
2. We only send communications 2-3 times per month at the most.
3. We will never send fundraising solicitations with a made-up deadline!

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