Minnesota Senate candidate Perryman backtracks on leaked audio where she calls troops at polling places ‘good’

Bernie Perryman, a Republican Minnesota state representative and state Senate candidate, is backtracking after local news obtained leaked audio from June of her seemingly endorsing National Guard troops at voting polls.

According to St. Cloud LIVE, which broke the story, Perryman said, “Because Trump does not like what’s going on in Minnesota, there’s a rumor he may send the National Guard in on Election Day. I don’t know. I think it’s good, but man, that presence, look what ICE did. That presence should stop it.”

Leaked audio reveals MN GOP candidate Bernie Perryman:• Supported sending National Guard troops to voting polls• Walked back comments after the recording surfaced months later• Defended ICE's actions in a debate: "Mistakes were made, but I still say they also did what they came to do."

— Heartland Signal (@heartlandsignal.com) 2026-10-14T20:34:49.978771191Z

The representative made the comments during a June 25 meeting with the conservative group Central Minnesota Freedom Advocates. Later, when the news outlet asked her about the audio, she said she currently opposes deploying the National Guard to polling stations.

“I don’t even remember having that belief,” she said. “I again was recorded not knowing I was being recorded.”

She also told St. Cloud LIVE that she often says things to just calm down crowds. “I think people in the audience were wanting it, and I was trying to cool them down at that point.”

Perryman is the Republican nominee in the 14th District race for the Minnesota state Senate. The seat is currently held by her opponent, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) incumbent Aric Putnam.

“I’m glad Representative Perryman has retreated on her position of welcoming federal troops at Minnesota polling places,” Putnam said after the news of the Republican’s backtracking came out. “No one should be trying to scare people away from the polls. I’m focused on making sure every eligible voter has clear information and a fair opportunity to participate.”

Perryman defends ICE during debate, Putnam recalls being pepper sprayed

Perryman and Putnam recently faced off at a debate in St. Cloud on Oct. 7 (one day before the St. Cloud LIVE published the Perryman audio). One of the most divisive topics of the event was the ICE raids that hit the area in January in Operation Metro Surge.

Protests across the city over ICE agents’ alleged aggressive tactics towards immigrants and observers that month culminated in a clash between ICE and demonstrators during a raid at the Star City Mall. The mall is home to businesses and services that cater to Somalis and other African immigrants.

ICE used pepper spray during the clash, and among those among those sparyed was Putnam.

“People said that I got pepper sprayed,” said Putnam. “I did, and I was standing next to a guy who got pepper sprayed. A 19-year-old kid, American citizen, who was told to leave. He turned around to walk away. And he was pepper sprayed in the back. That’s not how pepper spray works. That’s not how law enforcement works. This was, at its core, unconstitutional.”

Perryman said ICE made a mistake when it didn’t give advance notice of the mall raid to local law enforcement. Still, she also defended the agents.

“So you can’t blame these people when they’re going into a big mob and people running people over by cars that they can’t protect themselves as well,” she said. “So yes, mistakes were made, but I still say they also did what they came to do, and that was to protect us on the streets of Minnesota because there are still bad guys out there, and they’re the ones that had to do the job.”

More from the debate: Where Perryman and Putnam stand on data centers

So far, no businesses have announced plans to build a data center in or near St. Cloud. Meanwhile, the city has just begun looking at possible zoning restrictions and what permits might be needed. The neighboring city of Waite Park issued a one-year moratorium on data centers while it studies the issue.

Putnam said that was a good idea that could be expanded statewide.

“It’s during this moratorium that we can figure out exactly how big a data center we want,” he said. “How big is good enough? How big works for Minnesota? How are they going to deal with water, sound, and light? And how are they going to power the thing? And what are they going to give us back? That’s the most important question and give us a year to figure it out.”

Perryman opposed a statewide moratorium, adding that she thought the decision should be up to local communities. She said a transparent process and efficient permitting would restore public trust.

She also played up what she saw as the benefits of data centers.

“We have to realize that data centers provide construction, operations and supply chain jobs, plus new tax revenue to support local schools,” said Perryman. “This new tax revenue can support local schools, roads, services without raising taxes on families, while helping diversity rule economic growth.”

St. Cloud LIVE, KVSC radio and UTVS television sponsored last week’s debate, which can be viewed on St. Cloud LIVE’s website.