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D Democratic-Farmer-Labor · U.S. House 7, Minnesota · Nov 3, 2026

Erik
Osberg

Erik Osberg is the 2026 DFL nominee challenging incumbent Rep. Michelle Fischbach in Minnesota's 7th Congressional District.

Researched checked 6 d ago
sources
16
positions
10
endorsements
5
erikosberg4congress.com ↗(opens in a new tab) X(opens in a new tab)TikTok(opens in a new tab)Bluesky(opens in a new tab)YouTube(opens in a new tab)Facebook(opens in a new tab)Instagram(opens in a new tab)
Opponent Michelle Fischbach R Compare race →

Background

Erik Osberg is the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) candidate for Minnesota's 7th Congressional District in the 2026 general election, which is scheduled for November 3, 2026. He defeated other DFL candidates in the August 11, 2026, primary and will face incumbent Republican Michelle Fischbach. 2616

Osberg grew up in rural Minnesota, graduated from Upsala Area Schools in 1991, and earned a degree from Hamline University in 1999. His career has included work in construction and the trades, sports reporting and anchoring, financial services, and marketing. He also created a television show focused on rural Minnesota. 10

Since 2017, Osberg has worked in the public sector promoting economic development. As of 2026, his campaign identifies his current job as Rural Rebound Initiative Coordinator for Otter Tail County, a role also noted in KAXE's 2026 candidate guide. He is based in Wadena, Minnesota. 210

Osberg is described in sources as a political newcomer with no prior elected offices. His campaign has emphasized rural outreach, including a tour of all 38 counties in Minnesota's 7th Congressional District completed in 2025. 710

At a glance

Party
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Running for
U.S. House · District 7, Minnesota
Election
Nov 3, 2026
Current office
Rural Rebound Initiative Coordinator, Otter Tail County
Website
erikosberg4congress.com(opens in a new tab)

Where they stand

Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.

Timeline

  1. Oct 11
    poll
    Forecast model gives Fischbach 99.2% win probability, estimated ahead by 26.3 points

    A forecast model (Call the Map) estimated Fischbach ahead of Osberg by 26.3 points and gave her a 99.2% win probability. No actual head-to-head polls had been published for the race as of this date.

    MN-07: Fischbach 99 in 100 — Call the Map · Sep 12, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Sep 29
    debate
    Prairie Public announces October 15 debate between Osberg and Fischbach

    Prairie Public announced a debate between Fischbach and Osberg scheduled for 7 p.m. on October 15, to air on its television and radio network and stream on YouTube.

    Prairie Public sets US House debates for ND, Minn. 7th District · Sep 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Sep 28
    news
    KAXE election guide profiles Osberg; campaign has driven 40,000+ miles across all 38 counties

    KAXE's candidate guide listed Osberg as the DFL candidate, living in Wadena and working as Otter Tail County's Rural Rebound Initiative Coordinator. He claimed his campaign had driven more than 40,000 miles and visited all 38 district counties.

    7th Congressional District 2026 Election Guide | KAXE · Sep 28, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  4. Sep 26
    filing
    Campaign finance analysis: Osberg raised $334,945 vs. Fischbach's $1,286,028 through July 22

    The Political Group reported Osberg's FEC receipts since January 1, 2025 at $334,945 with $114,432 cash on hand, compared to Fischbach's $1,286,028 raised and $919,823 cash on hand.

    What It Would Take for Erik Osberg to Win MN-07 in 2026 · Sep 26, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  5. Sep 22
    news
    Osberg holds fish fry town hall in Breckenridge, outlines policy priorities

    At a Breckenridge town hall—his 306th campaign event—Osberg outlined priorities including constitutional checks and balances, reducing corporate money in politics, health care, public education, and family farms. He called for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

    District 7 candidate Erik Osberg holds fish fry town hall in ... · Sep 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  6. Sep 17
    news
    MinnPost reports Osberg raised ~$335,000 as of July 22 in heavily Republican district

    MinnPost described the district as heavily Republican (Trump won it 67%-31% in 2024) and reported Osberg had raised about $335,000 as of July 22, 2026.

    Why it will be difficult to oust Minnesota's congressional incumbents · Sep 17, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  7. Aug 1
    debate
    Osberg and Fischbach discuss agriculture issues at Farmfest forum

    Fischbach and Osberg participated in a forum on agriculture at Farmfest. Osberg argued tariff powers should return to Congress and said 'the fact that we need to talk about ad hoc assistance is a problem.'

    Fischbach, Osberg discuss Ag issues at Farmfest - · Sep 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  8. Mar 1, 2025
    news
    Erik Osberg launches campaign for Minnesota's 7th Congressional District

    Osberg launched his campaign in March 2025. By September 22, 2026, his campaign reported 306 events since launch, indicating the campaign began in March 2025.

    District 7 candidate Erik Osberg holds fish fry town hall in ... · Sep 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Endorsements

  • Minnesota AFL-CIO union
    Listed on the Minnesota AFL-CIO's 2026 endorsed candidates page for CD-7; page was posted July 14 and subsequently updated. A September 2, 2026 announcement reproduced by Labor World also includes him. mnaflcio.org
  • AFSCME Council 5 / AFSCME 65 union
    Listed as an endorsement on AFSCME's 2026 candidate endorsements pages; specific endorsement date not stated. afscmemn.org
  • Friends of the Boundary Waters Action Network organization
    Listed among the group's federal endorsements; specific date not stated on its endorsements page. friendsaction-bwca.org
  • Education Minnesota union
    Education Minnesota announced its endorsement; the recommendation was approved by the political action committees of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. educationminnesota.org · Aug 7, 2026
  • Minnesota DFL Congressional District 7 official
    Osberg won the DFL Congressional District 7 convention endorsement. dfl.org · Apr 25, 2026

Campaign finance

Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.

Raised
$330K
Spent
$215K
Cash on hand
$115K

As of Jul 22, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6MN07312(opens in a new tab)

Sources 16

  1. [1] 2026 Endorsements — Friends of the Boundary Waters Action Network(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
  2. [2] 2026 Candidate Endorsements(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
  3. [3] 2026 Minnesota AFL-CIO Endorsed Candidates(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
  4. [4] Fischbach, Osberg discuss Ag issues at Farmfest -(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
  5. [5] Prairie Public sets US House debates for ND, Minn. 7th District(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
  6. [6] 7th Congressional District 2026 Election Guide | KAXE(opens in a new tab) Sep 28, 2026
  7. [7] What It Would Take for Erik Osberg to Win MN-07 in 2026(opens in a new tab) Sep 26, 2026
  8. [8] District 7 candidate Erik Osberg holds fish fry town hall in ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 23, 2026
  9. [9] Why it will be difficult to oust Minnesota's congressional incumbents(opens in a new tab) Sep 17, 2026
  10. [10] MN-07: Fischbach 99 in 100 — Call the Map(opens in a new tab) Sep 12, 2026
  11. [11] Fischbach, Osberg spar over fraud, green energy, how to help rural economy(opens in a new tab) Sep 3, 2026
  12. [12] Erik Osberg (D) – MN-07 House 2026 | Smarter.Vote(opens in a new tab) Aug 29, 2026
  13. [13] Erik Osberg — US House Candidate: Record & Positions(opens in a new tab) Aug 19, 2026
  14. [14] Education Minnesota endorses Chapin, Osberg for Congress(opens in a new tab) Aug 7, 2026
  15. [15] It's official: A dormant prison in rural Minnesota will become an ICE detention center(opens in a new tab) Aug 5, 2026
  16. [16] DFL Congressional District 7 Holds Endorsement Convention(opens in a new tab) Apr 26, 2026
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