Swing Voter Pilot’s Patrick Rosenstiel on WDAY Radio’s Midday
MOORHEAD, Minn. — Undecided voters gathered at Concordia College to participate in a focus group-style research session analyzing candidate performances in the Farm Fest U.S. Senate debate.
It’s called the Swing Voter Pilot (SVP).
Participants were screened prior to the session to confirm their status as undecided voters. Ahead of the session, participant Sara Waller stated that she was seeking information regarding candidate platforms.
“I’m just, I’m really interested to hear more because I’ve never really like looked into it, just to hear more about what people in the senate or the governor, like the governor’s race, what they believe in and what they want to do for the state,” Waller said. She identified education as her primary policy issue and emphasized the importance of candidates focusing on “improving the lives of everyday Minnesotans.”
Another participant, Mike Barsness, stated that he participated to seek better candidates.
“I’m looking for the best candidate possible, and as little corruption as possible,” he said.
Sara Waller visits with Flag Family News Reporter Chris Larson after the event
Following the debate, Waller stated that the event answered several of her questions and noted that she took extensive notes to prepare for the August 11 primary. However, she noted that education was not addressed during the debate.
“I was a little disappointed in that,” Waller said regarding the absence of education discussions. “But overall, there was a lot that I never even thought about before. Um, a lot of things that I do care about, um, that were answered.”
Waller specifically cited a closing statement by Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan regarding serving communities outside major metropolitan areas, noting it aligned with her focus on everyday Minnesotans. Waller stated the screening experience encouraged her to be more active in future elections.
The Project
Pat Rosenstiel, an advisory board member for the SVP, stated that the organization conducts independent, nonpartisan survey research to evaluate candidate electability among undecided voters. Rosenstiel noted that the project is not affiliated with any political campaigns.
“I know that candidates claim that they’re the most electable candidate in the primary season,” he said. “We’re going to try to put some data around that, which I think is important, because understanding who the best standard bearers are for the Republican and Democratic Party, for the U.S. Senate, arming people with information, making those decisions, knowing how swing voters feel about it before the primary… will end the conversation about who’s the most electable candidates, or at least will add some important data to that conversation.”
The Moorhead location served as one of three physical research centers operating in the state, alongside facilities in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth. At the Concordia College center, eight to 12 pre-screened swing voters from the Red River Valley and western Minnesota watched live debate footage from Farm Fest before answering post-debate questions.
The organization collects research through its physical centers and additional online surveys targeting undecided voters, aiming to complete between 600 and 1,000 total surveys. The compiled data, methodology, an electability index, an issue index, and head-to-head match-up numbers are scheduled for public release.
Rosenstiel noted that similar research was conducted during the Wisconsin gubernatorial debate and a Texas Democratic Senate primary. He stated that the project aims to determine whether to continue operations into the 2028 election cycle based on media and public interest.
