What to know about today's Minnesota's primaries

Plus: Centro opening new digs in the 'burbs 🌮 [Plus: Centro opening new digs in the 'burbs 🌮] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Read to the end of this morning's edition for some interesting elections trivia 🗳️ Here's the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Meet the former St. Paul mayor working to make homeownership affordable for families]( - [Minnesota Zoo sets all-time annual attendance record after popular new attraction opens]( - [Metallica’s guitarist promises ‘more of an experience’ during its Minneapolis takeover]( - [Musician deVon Russell Gray has composed music for Walker Art Center’s ‘Sound for Silents’]( - [Minnesota comics honor Ellen DeGeneres before she says farewell to stand-up in Minneapolis](   The polls are officially open in Minnesota (if you haven't voted absentee yet, that is) Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune It's primary day, y'all. One of this year's most-watched contests is the Republican race to see who will take on Sen. Amy Klobuchar for one of Minnesota's two seats in the U.S. Senate. Joe Fraser and Royce White are vying for the nomination, the latter of whom won the party's endorsement despite his relatively lean political record and a history of questionable campaign spending. Don Samuels is once again challenging Rep. Ilhan Omar for the DFL nomination to represent Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District. Samuels came within 2 percentage points of unseating Omar in 2022. While other members of the so-called progressive Squad have been unseated in part by a wave of spending from pro-Israel groups, that dynamic hasn't been a factor in this race. One set of races you won't see on the ballot: The presidential nominations. We settled those back in March, when former President Donald Trump won the GOP's nomination and President Joe Biden won the Democratic contest. A majority of Biden's delegates have since pledged their support for Vice President Kamala Harris. We've got everything you need to know about this year's contests in the links below, including a link to the Secretary of State's voter registration page, where you can check your status. Related coverage - [Check your voter registration here]( - [Everything you need to know to cast your ballot in Minnesota’s August primary election]( - [Live: 2024 Minnesota primary election results]( - [U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Don Samuels square off in DFL primary election rematch]( - [Royce White and Joe Fraser face off in GOP primary for U.S. Senate]( - [GOP U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach faces primary challenge from Steve Boyd]( - [Two GOP choices on primary ballot in Minnesota’s swing Second District, even though one dropped out](     GOING OUT - [The 13 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week]( - [9 free things to do in the Twin Cities this week]( - [Pantera to play First Ave the night before its Metallica gig in Minneapolis]( Heads up, Roseville: Centro, and its tacos, are coming Centro is heading to the suburbs. While owner Jami Olson says her heart belongs to Minneapolis, she says "the future is suburban." Centro's new Roseville outpost will be the local chain's first standalone effort — none of Olson's other concepts will share the space. Joy Summers has the [details about Centro's expansion into the suburbs here](. Centro What's happening today 🗞️ Gov. Tim Walz will attend his first solo rally on behalf of the Harris campaign. He'll meet with members of public-sector unions in California. 🗞️ It's primary day. Go vote! We'll meet back here in November and do it all over again. [Share this newsletter with friends]( Do you enjoy Essential Minnesota? Encourage your friends and family to [sign up](. You also can share it using the links below. MORE FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE - [Tolkkinen: Greatness lies in the smallest actions]( - [St. Paul streetcar could worsen traffic at MSP airport, officials say]( - [Bobby Witt Jr., Royce Lewis make Royals-Twins a special series]( Minnesotans really liked ike United Press Photo Back in early 1952, Ike Eisenhower was still serving overseas as supreme general commander of NATO, which meant he could not physically campaign or appear on several state ballots. So when Minnesota held its primary election in March, the Republican didn't qualify to appear on the ballot. But the popular military leader had such fierce support in the North Star State that he landed in second place behind Harold E. Stassen as a write-in. Eisenhower only fell short by about 20,000 votes. (Minnesotans cast nearly 291,000 in the Republican primary alone.) Again: As a write-in. Eisenhower left his NATO post in May to officially declare his candidacy. He would, of course, go on to win the presidential contest that November against Adlai Stevenson. IN OTHER NEWS - [Line dancing and language lessons: At Hmong summer camp, kids build friendships, cultural fluency]( - Sahan Journal - [Data shows glaring ethnic disparities in jury make-ups in the metro counties]( - MinnPost - [Republicans are talking about Walz’s policing record. Why do voters in low-crime communities care?]( - MPR News     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE overused-username via Reddit You've seen the new Minnesota flag in its horizontal orientation, but have you ever considered what it might illustrate when flown upright? Well, Reddit user overused-username did, and I've gotta say: I like what I see. It does kind of look like a river flowing into the distance with the North Star perched atop the horizon line. Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter David Taintor, editor [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]([Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Manage]( your preferences | [Opt Out]( using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? [Sign up]( to receive our future emails. View this email [online](. 650 3rd Ave. S. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 US This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.