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Open by design
Goals are set by the group, not handed down by one person. The causes we take on come from the people who show up.
L'Etoile du Nord. The Star of the North.
Minnesota leads. So do its veterans.
A veteran-led progressive coalition for Minnesota's military community. Veterans, military families, and the people who stand with us. Rooted in community. Grounded in objectivity.
Two statements we hold ourselves to. Everything on this site follows from them.
To bring together progressive-minded veterans in Minnesota and build an organized, research-driven grassroots coalition. Rooted in community, grounded in objectivity, and committed to advancing progressive values and organizing around the issues that matter most to our coalition and the communities we are part of.
A recognized, active veterans coalition across Minnesota. Meeting consistently, producing real outputs, and building a sense of community among progressive veterans in every corner of this state, from the metro to the Iron Range to the farthest stretch of the North Woods. Operating as an organized, measured, evidence-driven force for progressive change heading into the 2026 midterms and beyond. If there is a progressive veteran doing this work outside the cities, we go to them. If this reaches past Minnesota and into the Midwest, better.
Minnesota is not short on progressive veterans, and it is not short on groups doing good work. There are caucuses, chapters, and individuals across this state pulling in the same direction, often without knowing about each other.
What has been missing is one organized coalition that brings those efforts to the same table, around shared values, and turns them into things that actually get done.
Veterans. Military families. The people who stand with us. Nobody in this community should be carrying it by themselves, and nobody has to.
We swore an oath to the Constitution. Not to a party, not to a person, not to a flag as decoration. That oath does not expire when you take the uniform off, and everything below comes out of it.
This is bigger than veterans policy. It is about whether this country holds to its own rules.
We swore to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That is a commitment to a system of government and to the rule of law, not to whoever is holding office. Keeping it means holding power accountable no matter who has it, including people we voted for.
Free and fair elections. A government answerable to the people. Institutions that function regardless of who is in charge. This is the specific thing we swore to defend, it is under real pressure right now, and veterans have the standing to say so out loud.
A progressive advocates for social reform, civil rights, and economic equality, and holds that societal advancement requires active government intervention to address inequalities and regulate large institutions. That is what the word means and that is where we stand. We are not vague about it. Everything else on this list is that conviction applied to the oath we took.
Equal protection and the limits on government power either apply to everyone or they are not rights, they are privileges. Those limits are written down. When they get tested, including in our own state, that is not a side issue for people who took this oath.
Healthcare earned through service is not a benefit to be trimmed and it is not a favor. Protecting the VA, standing with veterans this country deported, and keeping the promises made to people who served. That is the oath in practice.
We cite sources and say what the evidence shows, even when it is inconvenient for us. Patriotism that cannot survive criticism is marketing. Credibility is the only currency that works in the rooms we need to be in, and it is easy to spend and hard to earn back.
We do not lead with what we believe. We lead with what is on the record. The fight over veterans healthcare is where our research runs deepest, and it is not where our concern ends.
Four principles. They are what separate an organization from a group chat.
Goals are set by the group, not handed down by one person. The causes we take on come from the people who show up.
Relationships are as important as any deliverable. People stay engaged when they feel part of something real.
We cite sources and ground every argument in documented research. We say what the evidence shows, not what is convenient.
We protect the meeting rhythm above everything else. A year of steady work accomplishes more than a burst of energy that burns out by spring.
A growing, building movement. We are early, and that is the opportunity. Here is the direction we are driving.
Get the word out and build a real presence. Bring the progressive veterans and groups already working across Minnesota into one coalition with shared values and a shared table. Lock a rhythm people can build around.
Produce research that people cite. Bring a prepared coalition to Minnesota's congressional delegation and offer a real briefing. Put our position on the public record where it lasts.
Be the group people call when veterans policy or democratic accountability moves in Minnesota. Drive outcomes we can point to, not just activity we can describe.
Our organizers have direct relationships with Common Defense, the largest progressive grassroots veteran-led organization in the country. Minnesota is the piece they do not have yet.
You should not have to chase us down to get involved. Leave your name below and we will reach out to you personally with the meeting details, what we are working on, and where you fit.
Veterans, military families, and allies who stand with this community are all welcome.
Open by design. Objectivity before opinion. The causes we fight for come from the people who show up.
Find your place in it