By Phillip C. Parrish, Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
As a proud son of the North Star State, I’ve spent the better part of this year traversing every corner of Minnesota—from the iron mines of the Range to the family farms of the Red River Valley, from bustling small-town main streets to the overlooked neighborhoods of the Twin Cities. I’ve shaken hands with thousands of hardworking Minnesotans: the single mom juggling two jobs to make ends meet, the veteran who’s seen enough D.C. games to last a lifetime, the small business owner crushed by regulatory red tape while corporate giants get bailouts. These aren’t poll respondents or focus group participants; they’re real people, raw and unfiltered, pouring out their frustrations over coffee or at impromptu porch talks.
And here’s the resounding truth I’ve heard from every single one: The era of blind faith in centralized elites is over. Their eyes are wide open. No one—not a soul—still buys the polished narratives from the donor class, the legacy media echo chamber, or the self-appointed gatekeepers who pull strings from smoke-filled rooms. These Minnesotans know they’ve been lied to and exploited for decades: promised prosperity while jobs shipped overseas, told their votes matter while the system rigs primaries and caucuses against outsiders, assured security while fraud siphons billions from programs meant for the hardworking poor and middle class. It’s a betrayal that’s left families in poverty traps, communities hollowed out, and trust in government shattered.
This isn’t just my anecdotal ear to the ground—it’s a seismic shift backed by hard data, and a fresh Rasmussen Reports poll from @honestpollster drives it home like a thunderclap. Just 13% of Republicans strongly disagree with shifting economic power from the elites—big corporations, Wall Street fat cats, and D.C. insiders—to the common people: us, the everyday workers, families, and entrepreneurs fighting to keep the lights on. That means a staggering 87% either agree outright or lean that way. This isn’t fringe populism; it’s the new Republican mainstream, a clarion call for economic justice that echoes the “drain the swamp” energy of 2016 but with sharper teeth aimed at boardrooms and bailouts. In Minnesota, where I’ve logged those thousands of conversations, I’d wager that 13% outlier is even smaller—closer to zero. We’re not waiting for national polls to catch up; we’re living it.
What does this mean for our state? It’s validation of the awakening I’ve documented time and again on my campaign trail and in the pages of Parrish4MN.com. Take my May exposé, Exposing the Elite: How Minnesota’s Political System Manipulates Your Vote and How to Fight Back, where I laid bare how a cabal of elites and legacy media gatekeepers limit voter choice, stacking the deck with insiders while sidelining reformers like me who dare to challenge the status quo. Or consider my recent piece, Minnesota’s Media and Political Gatekeepers: A Staged Farce Ignoring the People’s Righteous Anger, which calls out how these same power brokers control visibility, resources, and airtime to drown out the voices of everyday folks demanding accountability on everything from election integrity to economic fairness.
And let’s talk election integrity, because nothing exposes elite exploitation like a rigged game. In Election Integrity Under Scrutiny: Parrish Demands Answers from Simon and Walz on CCP Influence in Minnesota, I spotlighted foreign meddling and domestic failures that undermine our democracy, from voter roll bloat to suspicious cyberattacks timed just a little too conveniently. My October alert, Minnesota’s Election Integrity Crisis: Half-Measures Won’t Cut It—Demand Action Now for 2026, hammered home the urgency, with Secretary of State Steve Simon dodging tough questions on electronic vulnerabilities that could disenfranchise the very people this poll says are ready to reclaim power. These scandals aren’t isolated; they’re symptoms of a deeper rot, as I detailed in Unmasking the Shadow Network: Decades of Deception in Minnesota’s Halls of Power, unmasking a shadow network of DFL and establishment Republicans who’ve feathered their nests at our expense.
The ground-level proof? Look no further than the empty seats at elite-hosted events. Without paid amplification—bused-in crowds, astroturfed protests, or donor-funded hype—these so-called leaders can’t muster a quorum. In the 2024 election cycle, voter turnout plummeted in DFL strongholds like Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, dropping from 2020 highs while surging in Trump-leaning rural precincts—a clear sign the base is fleeing the machine. Nationally, claims of “paid protesters” have dogged both parties, but in 2025, even establishment Republicans are skipping high-profile spectacles, like ditching Trump’s birthday parade amid flagging enthusiasm. Governor Walz’s “town halls” get called out as thinly veiled campaign rallies by critics, with sparse genuine attendance underscoring the disconnect. Meanwhile, grassroots gatherings—like the ones I host with real Minnesotans—overflow with passion. No scripts, no stipends, just people fed up and fired up.
This Rasmussen poll isn’t a surprise; it’s a mirror reflecting Minnesota’s quiet revolution. In A Call to Unite and Restore Minnesota: Phillip C. Parrish’s Vision for 2026, I urged BPOU chairs and Republican leaders to wake up to these gatekeepers, and many are—shedding the elite yoke for a party that fights for the forgotten. My Bold 100-Day Plan lays it out: Slash fraud to save billions for families, empower local economies over corporate cronies, and restore election safeguards so every vote—from Bemidji to Bloomington—counts.
Fellow Minnesotans, the elites’ grip is slipping because we’re prying it loose, one conversation at a time. The 87% national tide is a Minnesota flood. Join me in this fight—not for partisan points, but for right versus wrong.
Eyes wide open. Who’s ready to act?
Phillip C. Parrish is a retired Navy intelligence officer, father, farmer, teacher, administrator, and lifelong Minnesotan running for Governor in 2026 to restore integrity and prosperity. Parrish4MN.com.