As former elected officials, we find that the pull to stay involved in the process is hard to shake. That is what sent us to our parties’ state conventions this year. Both conventions had a familiar feel — plenty of anti-establishment energy among delegates — but also clear differences in priorities and tone from one party to the other.
GOP Convention (Goodno)
At the Republican convention in Duluth, delegates endorsed six statewide candidates over two long days of balloting and speeches. The headline races were for the open U.S. Senate seat and the governor’s office.
It took six ballots for Adam Schwarze to win the Senate endorsement over Michele Tafoya in a crowded field. Both leaned heavily into outsider credentials — Schwarze with his Navy SEAL background, Tafoya with her electability and media profile. Despite the endorsement, both are headed to the primary. Traditionally, that endorsement carries a lot of weight; the last time I remember it not holding was the 1994 attorney general’s race (and yes, I was at that convention too). Still, Tafoya’s fundraising and name ID have folks thinking this might be one of those rare years.
The governor’s race stretched things even further. Kendall Qualls won the endorsement after 10 ballots, beating Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth in a six-person contest. Demuth led through the fourth ballot when Mike Lindell of MyPillow fame was dropped from the ballot. In the fifth ballot, Qualls went ahead with 300 to 400 total fewer votes cast. During the sixth ballot, voting system issues were detected — Qualls claimed it was a plot by the establishment to keep him from getting the nomination, while Demuth called for paper ballots and claimed the process was flawed. By the end, the endorsement outcome stood, but confidence in the mechanics clearly took a hit — and it gave Demuth a ready excuse for continuing to the primary.
Both races now head to contested primaries.
The party also endorsed Tad Jude for secretary of state, Nate George for state auditor and Ron Schutz for attorney general.
DFL Convention (Harris)
The DFL Party State Convention was held this year at Rochester’s Mayo Civic Center and, in some cases, showed similarities to the GOP convention. The anti-establishment fight seemed to break down along ideological lines. Half of the 1,200-plus delegates were first-time attendees, younger and more progressive-leaning than in typical endorsement convention years. They appeared to be energized in response to President Donald Trump’s Operation Metro Surge and well-organized through a couple of statewide grassroots organizations.
This ideological diversity set the stage for what was expected to be a big endorsement fight between Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig for the U.S. Senate. However, just days before the start of the convention, the race took a sudden turn when Craig announced that she would forgo the DFL Party endorsement and continue forward in the DFL Party Primary Election. That gave an open lane for Flanagan, who got endorsed by acclamation.
As for the other races, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar handily won her endorsement for the governor’s race on the first ballot, and Secretary of State Steve Simon and Attorney General Keith Ellison were unanimously endorsed. Former Duluth City Council Member Zack Filipovich had his work cut out against two other candidates but eventually won the endorsement for state auditor.
For more information or questions, contact Kevin Goodno or Shep Harris.
Chair, Fredrikson Government Relations, LLCKevin is a respected and experienced advocate, effectively representing clients on complex policy and political issues before state legislative, agency and executive branch decision makers.
Senior Government Relations SpecialistShep is a seasoned lobbyist who develops and executes government relations strategies with a deep understanding of government and relationships with key government officials in multiple areas including racial justice and ...