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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please enjoy this gift link to my Christmas column about a bipartisan friendship on the Iron Range.

People often associate the Iron Range with its quirky political tradition, a northern gothic tableau replete with loud characters and a genial sort of corruption that somehow passes for lovable. 

I learned what I know about politics and journalism when DFLers completely controlled local governments and the area’s legislative seats, and held kingmaker status for a Congressional district.

During this time I saw how much fun it was for DFL politicians to be in the majority and how miserable it was to be on the outs as a member of the local GOP. And yet, the opposition persisted. For a solid 20 years, Matt Matasich represented the face of that Iron Range GOP opposition. 

I interviewed Matt a couple times and we were friends on Facebook, where he was a prolific author of posts, some political, though mostly not. I remember feeling proud that he liked a tomato I grew, because he was very serious about tomatoes.

During the time of DFL control, Matt put a human face on the party that was constantly blamed for all the region’s ills. No one, not even his opponents, could argue against his Ranger credentials. And that begged a question. Were these political issues really as black-and-white as our leaders suggested?

This is how it was until the 2010s. Slowly at first, and then all at once, Republicans swept the region. Now, it could be fairly said that the GOP holds nearly the same advantage that the DFL did. The rhetoric is reversed, though the region’s problems remain. 

Unfortunately, Matasich never got to enjoy the full benefits of the political shift. When he ran for a local House seat last year, he lost badly in the GOP primary. Then, Matt passed away this September at the age of 65 from a heart attack.

Thereafter, an old neighbor from Zim called me to tell me that Matasich was a good friend of Karl Oberstar, mayor of Gilbert, despite their almost rabid political differences. He said it was a great story. I wanted to learn more. 

The result was today’s column (gift link). I hope you enjoy it in the holiday spirit. 

Read “Despite arguments and heartbreak, bipartisan friendship shows the way,” in the Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.