Community Over Division

Welcome back to another edition of The Rig Roundup!

If this week felt like it moved faster than usual, you were not imagining it.

In just a few days, the Supreme Court handed down decisions that will shape our country for years to come. Political headlines once again turned toward division instead of solutions. Pride Month came to a close with one of Minnesota’s biggest celebrations. Doug hosted his thirteenth town hall. And thanks to supporters across the Sixth District and greater Minnesota, this campaign closed out the second fundraising quarter by raising more than $10,000 in a single day, blowing past our goal!

That is a lot for one week.

But taken together, it also tells us something important.

Elections are not only about campaign ads, headlines, or party labels. They are about values. They are about who leaders choose to stand with. They are about whether our politics brings people together to solve problems, or whether it keeps finding new ways to divide us.

This week gave us a pretty clear picture of the choice in front of Minnesota’s Sixth District.

The Stakes Continue to Grow

Last week, we talked about money in politics and asked a simple question:

Who does Congress actually work for?

This week, the Supreme Court offered another reminder that elections have consequences long after the signs come down and the votes are counted.

The Court upheld birthright citizenship, barely. That means one of the most basic promises of the Fourteenth Amendment still stands: if you are born here, you belong here.

At the same time, the Court opened the door for political parties to put even more money into campaigns, continuing a long trend of giving wealthy interests and political insiders more power over our elections.

And in another decision, the Court sided against transgender students, deciding that protections many Americans understood to be part of Title IX do not actually protect everyone equally.

These decisions are not abstract. They shape who has power. They shape who is protected. They shape whose voices are heard.

They shape what kind of democracy we are leaving to the next generation.

That is why elections matter. Not just every four years. Not just at the top of the ticket. Every race matters, including this one.

Because the people we send to Congress help decide what kind of judges are confirmed, what laws are written, what rights are defended, and what values are protected.

Leadership Is More Than Headlines

One story, however, stood out above the rest this week.

Congressman Tom Emmer made national headlines after telling Somali immigrants that if they do not assimilate, they should “go the hell back where they came from.”

The comments were covered nationally, including in People Magazine, where Doug was mentioned as Emmer’s Democratic challenger. That matters, not because this campaign is chasing headlines, but because moments like this show people across the country what many Minnesotans have already seen clearly.

Tom Emmer is not simply making a comment about immigration policy.

He is using his position of power to tell an entire community that they do not belong.

People can hold different views on immigration.

Reasonable people can disagree about border security, asylum policy, enforcement, and immigration reform. Those debates belong in Congress. They should happen seriously, honestly, and with a focus on solutions.

But there is a difference between debating policy and talking about people.

There is a difference between saying our immigration system is broken and telling an entire community to go back where they came from.

That difference matters.

Families across the Sixth District are worried about the cost of groceries, housing, health care, child care, and retirement. They are worried about the future of their farms, schools, small businesses, and communities. They are wondering why Washington seems so focused on performance while ordinary people are trying to keep up.

Those are the conversations our volunteers hear at doors across the district.

Rarely do we hear people asking for more outrage.

More often, we hear people asking for leaders who will listen.

Leadership should challenge us to solve difficult problems without convincing us to fear one another. It should bring communities together, even when we disagree, because lasting solutions are built through conversation, respect, and trust.

That’s the kind of leadership Doug Chapin believes in. More importantly, that’s the kind of leader Doug Chapin is.

Show Up or Shut Up

While Washington dominated the news cycle, Doug continued doing what has defined this campaign from the beginning.

Showing up.

This week, Doug hosted his 13th town hall in St. Cloud. Like every town hall before it, the event was open, unscripted, and built around a simple idea: voters deserve the chance to ask questions directly and hear real answers.

People talked about the Supreme Court. They talked about rights, democracy, and the direction of the country. They talked about the issues affecting their families and communities.

That kind of conversation matters, because democracy works best when leaders spend more time listening than performing.

Not everyone who attends a town hall agrees on every issue. That is okay. In fact, that is the point.

Listening is not about finding a room full of people who already agree with you. It is about making space for honest conversations, even when they are difficult. It is about respecting people enough to hear what is on their minds. It is about remembering that public service begins with the public.

That is what Doug keeps doing.

Thirteen town halls in, and the message is clear:

The Sixth District deserves a representative who shows up.

Standing With Our Neighbors

This past weekend, Doug and members of Team Chapin joined thousands of Minnesotans at the Twin Cities Pride Parade.

The storms passed. The sun came out. And people showed up!

Pride is so joyful, but it is also deeply meaningful. It is a celebration of the freedom to be who you are, love who you love, and live openly without fear.

That freedom deserves to be protected every single day, not only during Pride Month.

At a time when LGBTQIA2S+ Americans continue to be targeted by politicians and court decisions, standing with the community matters. It matters in parades. It matters in policy. It matters in classrooms, workplaces, families, and neighborhoods.

Leadership is measured by the people you are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with, especially when it would be easier to stay quiet.

This campaign is proud to stand with the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

Not just at Pride. Every day.

Momentum Is Building

Campaigns are powered by people. That truth was on full display this week.

Thanks to your generosity, Doug Chapin for Congress raised more than $10,000 in a single day to close out the second fundraising quarter, blowing past our goal and building the resources needed to compete across the Sixth District.

That kind of support does not happen by accident. It happens because people are paying attention. It happens because voters are ready for a campaign rooted in honesty, service, and real leadership.

It happens because more and more people are ready to build something better.

Every donation matters, every volunteer shift matters, every yard sign, phone call, parade, conversation, and shared post matters!

This campaign keeps growing because people across the Sixth District are choosing to be part of it.

And we are just getting started.

Standing with Working Families

As support continues to grow across the district, Doug was also honored this week to receive the endorsement of the Minnesota AFL-CIO!

In its endorsement, the organization wrote it:

“…will continue to count on you to keep the government on the side of working families in Congressional District 6.”

This is more than an endorsement, it’s a reminder of what’s at stake. Minnesotans deserve leaders who put working families first, and that’s exactly the kind of leadership Doug is committed to bringing to Congress.

Celebrate the Fourth With Team Chapin! 🇺🇸🇺🇸

As we head into Independence Day weekend, we are reminded that patriotism is not about pretending America has always lived up to its promises. It is about believing those promises are worth fighting for.

Freedom.

Equality.

Representation.

Community.

The right to be heard.

The responsibility to stand up for one another.

Those values are bigger than one party, one campaign, or one election. They belong to all of us.

This Fourth of July, Team Chapin will be out across the district celebrating with neighbors, marching in local parades, and showing what community centered politics looks like.

We will also be out knocking doors and talking with voters across the Sixth District, because the work of building a better future does not stop after the parade ends.

We have made the week’s schedule easy to scan below. Whether you want to walk with the Democracy Rescue Rig, celebrate Independence Day with neighbors, or help talk with voters in communities across the district, we would love to have you with us!