Minnesota political conventions 2026: DFL, GOP pick candidates

DFL delegate prepares for first convention

In Rochester, DFL delegate Tarik Alduri, 24, was preparing to hang up posters for State Auditor candidate Zack Filipovich.

He’s a recent political science and international studies graduate from St. Cloud State University and says he’s a relative newcomer to DFL politics — and it’s his first convention.

“If we want a better world, if not only for myself but for my kids and future generations, a world where people aren't being terrorized and harassed in their homes, a world where we can protect our democracy, where we can have a higher standard of living, it doesn't happen by being doom and gloom,” he said. “It happens by not only going out and vote, but also just engaging with your communities.”

Alduri says he’s endorsing Filipovich in a crowded field for the seat in part because he took time to learn what young people like him are concerned about.

“He came to our house and played Catan with a bunch of college kids and answered our questions over and over, and it's that willingness to have those conversations, and not as a politician talking to a voter, but as a person talking to a person, sharing your values that matter to me,” he said.

For similar reasons, Alduri says he’s planning to endorse Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate over Second Congressional Rep. Angie Craig, who won’t be showing up to the convention. Flanagan is widely expected to win the endorsement.

“Peggy has never felt like a politician,” he said, pointing to Flanagan’s participation in No Kings rallies and in protests against ICE enforcement. “She was in the streets with the rest of us, marching with the rest of us. And I think that's really important to have leaders who not just hear what we have to say but actively participate with us.”