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RacketCast, Ep. 61: Talkin’ Long on ‘Perseverance’ Feat. Sen./Gov. Mark Dayton

A longform convo with a first-time author.

11:12 AM CDT on September 18, 2026

Mark B. Dayton, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Energy and Economic Development, around 1985.

|Minnesota Historical Society

Born into remarkable wealth, Mark Dayton could've loafed poolside, Billy Madison-style, amid the opulence that comes from being part of a dynastic Minnesota business family. Instead, he charted a remarkable life that includes stints as a U.S. senator, governor, and, most recently, rookie author of the compelling new memoir, Perseverance (read our review here). Dayton, 79, joined us for a 40-minute conversation to discuss all of that and more.

But first we engage in an abridged edition of What I Learned in Racket, followed by the debut of a controversial new segment: Rank Past RacketCast Guests by Famousness. We don't anticipate its return. Here's what Em learned in Racket:

Subscribe to RacketCast wherever you get your podcasts—Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, etc. • Wanna advertise on RacketCast? Email us at advertise@racketmn.com. • Have a food/drink, event, or show recommendation? How about a civic hot take? General or specific question? Call 619-RACKTIP (619-722-5847) with your first name + city + 3-min.-maximum voicemail, and we might play it on a future episode. • Special thanks to local band Van Stee for supplying our podcast music!

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