To the Forgotten Ones of Minnesota – You Are Seen, You Are Loved, and You Are Not Forgotten
This Christmas, I want to speak directly to you—the quiet warriors who keep this state alive while the rest of the world sleeps.
To the farmer out in the barn at 4 a.m. on Christmas Eve, breath freezing in the air, milking cows or feeding livestock because the animals don’t care what day it is on the calendar.
To the cook flipping burgers or prepping holiday meals long after the last customer left, wiping down counters one more time because that’s what excellence looks like.
To the carpenter framing houses in sub-zero wind, the custodian mopping floors after everyone else went home, the plow driver salting sidewalks at midnight so the rest of us don’t break our necks in the morning.
To the law enforcement officers working the night shift, the firefighters standing ready for the next call, and the service members stationed around the world—far from home, holding the line so the rest of us can celebrate in peace.
To the linemen keeping the lights on during the storm, the nurses pulling another double shift, the mechanics turning wrenches long past quitting time because someone’s got to get that family home for Christmas.
You get up every single day and do the hard thing—the right thing—long after most people would have punched out and gone home.
You don’t do it for applause.
You don’t do it for headlines.
You do it because it needs doing, and you’re the kind of person who shows up.
This Christmas, Team Parrish for Governor and I want you to know:
We see you.
We love you.
We appreciate you more than words can say.
And we are fighting like hell for you—for the Minnesota you deserve, not the one the grifters and insiders are trying to sell off piece by piece.
Because real leadership isn’t about who can raise the most money or rig the best poll.
It’s about standing up for the people who stand up for everyone else.
God bless you and your families this Christmas.
May your homes be warm, your tables full, and your hearts filled with the peace that comes from knowing you’ve done what’s right—again.
You are the backbone of this state.
You are the reason we’ll take it back.
Merry Christmas, Minnesota.
With deep respect and gratitude,
Phillip C. Parrish
Candidate for Governor of Minnesota
2026