By Phillip C. Parrish, Republican Candidate for Governor of Minnesota, 2026
Dear Tyler Balbuena, and to every Minnesotan who’s ever felt their party no longer feels like home,
In July, I wrote about the “gatekeepers” who’ve dimmed the Minnesota Republican Party’s light, turning a platform of opportunity into one of control. My words came from a lifelong belief in the American dream—the one that, as a 17-year-old in 1982, had me jotting down in my journal the year I’d turn 35 to run for office, inspired by a Constitution that promises even a kid from a tiny town a shot at greatness. Over four decades, I’ve seen insiders in caucuses and primaries prioritize their influence over the voices of everyday Minnesotans, sidelining the energy that could unite us. As a candidate for governor in 2026, I’m on a mission to open those gates wide.
Your resignation letter from the Senate District 59 DFL Vice Chair, published in the Minneapolis Times this February, struck a chord that echoes across party lines. Tyler, you’ve given a decade to the DFL—organizing in Chaska, serving as a press secretary, and volunteering for underdogs like Don Samuels, LaTrisha Vetaw, and Martha Holton Dimick. You didn’t sign up for toxic infighting, like chairs hurling slurs at colleagues, or for endorsements swayed by insiders overriding the rank-and-file. You called out an “oligarchic structure” in DFL strongholds, low-turnout caucuses that exclude working families, and policies—on schools, energy costs, public safety—that drift from the needs of everyday voters. “This just doesn’t feel like my party,” you wrote. That’s a wound I know too well.
Your story isn’t just yours; it’s the heartbeat of a silent majority across Minnesota. From the Iron Range to the Twin Cities suburbs, from warehouse workers pulling double shifts to families pinching pennies against rising bills, we’re not locked in red-blue battles. We’re neighbors bound by shared dreams: safe communities where kids play freely, schools that prepare our children to thrive in a fast-changing economy, transparent government that roots out waste to fund real healthcare and education, and infrastructure that connects every corner of our state. Polls show over 70% of Minnesotans, across party lines, rally around economic growth, public safety, and opportunity over ideological divides. Yet, we’re fed a script of “left vs. right” that drowns out our common ground.
This isn’t about pointing fingers—it’s about recognizing how close we are to reclaiming our state’s promise. The MNGOP’s caucus system, with its low turnout and insider sway, often elevates narrow agendas over broad voter priorities, just as you’ve seen in the DFL’s opaque endorsement battles and union-driven resistance to reform. But these aren’t just party flaws; they’re barriers to the shared vision we both crave—a Minnesota where our Constitutional Republic isn’t a rigged game but a vibrant conversation, where every voice, from the poorest to the most pragmatic, shapes our future.
Tyler, your letter channels Pope John Paul II’s call: “Be Not Afraid.” That’s the spirit driving my campaign—not as a partisan fighter, but as a unifier for what’s right: empowering the poor and middle class with jobs that build futures, not handouts that limit them; ensuring public safety that protects without prejudice; investing in infrastructure that lifts Carlton’s gains as much as Hennepin’s growth. These aren’t GOP or DFL ideas—they’re Minnesotan values, rooted in stewardship, as Jesus taught in Luke 12, to nurture our talents for a thriving community.
I’m extending an open hand to you, Tyler, and to the Jims, Carins, and Independents who echoed your letter, sharing stories of frustration and hope for reform. Let’s build a shared vision:
• Universal Primaries to boost turnout, replacing caucuses that lock out working families.
• Transparency Audits for delegate processes, ensuring every voter’s voice counts.
• People’s Town Halls where we craft a “Minnesota First” platform—prioritizing economic vitality, safe streets, and honest governance over division.
Imagine DFL reformers and GOP grassroots warriors co-authoring a future where candidates aren’t curated by elites but chosen by us—the teachers, farmers, nurses, and entrepreneurs who make this state hum. Tyler, your insights on CD5’s challenges and policy disconnects (like falling school rankings or rising energy costs) could spark this movement. Coffee in Minneapolis? A joint post on X (@BalbuenaTyler, I saw your October 3rd reflection on Minnesota’s economic exceptionalism—let’s amplify that)? Or a town hall to draft our shared priorities? To all Minnesotans feeling sidelined, join us at parrish4mn.com or your next caucus. Let’s show the system that our majority—united by purpose, not party—can’t be ignored.
Minnesota’s promise is ours to reclaim. Let’s weave it together, one honest conversation at a time.
In unity and hope,
Phillip C. Parrish
Republican for Governor, 2026