It is with some degree of civic pride I report my participation in Tuesday night’s DFL precinct caucuses in my home state of Minnesota. We had 30+ people show up; a handful voted in the governor straw poll and left, some dropped off resolution petitions and left, but the precinct chair was pleased at the turnout. Not as big as 2016, but very good for a mid-term.
The main priority of the evening was getting a minimum of 12 (and maximum 18) delegates to attend the upcoming district conventions on March 3rd, and it is with even more pride I announce that I volunteered and was selected to be one, for the first time. Really looking forward to it.
Some candidates (or their proxies) came by to deliver info and short speeches. Above is John Huot, a man I hope replaces our current GOP’er in MN-House 57B.
Resolutions were read and voted on, the most prominent of which were as follows:
- Decriminalization of cannabis.
- Fully fund Planned Parenthood.
- Sensible gun control measures: Background checks & no over-riding of designated ‘gun-free’ zones (churches, schools).
And if there is any further indicator of the coming Blue TsunamiTM, I read with delicious satisfaction that things on the other side of the political spectrum didn’t go so swimmingly:
The Republican turnout for Tuesday night’s precinct caucuses in Minnesota was the lowest it’s been since at least 2002, the farthest back for which numbers were available.
Just fewer than 11,000 people attended the GOP gatherings, compared with 14,000 in 2014 and nearly 20,000 in 2010, the last time there was an open seat in the governor’s office, according to figures the party has reported to the state.
“Horrifically low” is how former state lawmaker Marty Seifert described turnout in his caucus location in Marshall in southwest Minnesota. Seifert is a former state lawmaker who twice won the precinct caucus straw poll for governor, an informal ballot of the party faithful that’s taken each year the governor’s seat is on the ballot.
Tuesday’s GOP turnout compares with about 30,000 people who participated Tuesday in Democratic-Farmer Labor precinct caucuses.
This was reported in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. I won’t abuse fair use by quoting more, but they also reported on a series of excuses as to the reason why GOP turnout was so down.
One of which — without any indication of irony from Mr. Seifert — “It was cold out”.
Bold North, Marty. Bold North.
EDIT: John Huot is DFL candidate for House seat 57B.
57A is wonderfully represented by Erin Maye Quade. She was elected in 2016, defeating the odious Ali Jimenez-Hopper, after disgraced GOPer Tara Mack declined to run, in the fallout of her scandal — as reported in City Pages — of ‘exchanging legislative documents’ in a Dakota County park with a fellow married Republican legislator.
