National Committeewoman Janet Beihoffer stands with Cook County Republican delegates (L-R) Marion McKeever, Mary Petz and Harris Mills at the state Republican Convention held recently in Duluth.
Cook County delegates Marion McKeever, Harris Mills and alternate Mary Petz carried Cook County Republican resolutions to the Republican State Convention at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center on May 20-21.
While some party activists stressed their discomfort with the possibility of Donald Trump being at the top of the ticket, said Petz, a motion made at the party’s State Central Committee to reaffirm the rights of party members to focus their efforts on “races of their own choosing” other than supporting the party’s presidential nominee, failed by a two-thirds majority vote.
“That took place in private. There were no protesters or disruption at the main convention,” said Petz. “There wasn’t any rabble rousing at the convention like some in the media portrayed.”
On Friday, said Petz,“We began with a 5 p.m. general convention gathering. Rules, attendees, and the agenda were discussed prior to Keith Downey, the Minnesota GOP chairman’s remarks. Then we held a discussion regarding whether or not the Party should be endorsing judicial candidates in the future.”
Petz said Downey encouraged fellow Republicans with the following comments:
“We are excited to present our vision and invite the people of Minnesota to get on board with the cause of growth and opportunity. We are a party that cares, and we will lead,” said Downey. “Minnesotans, Americans, are tired of government telling us what we can do and what we can aspire to. We believe that our message of individual empowerment, of growth and opportunity will resonate with Minnesotans.”
Speakers also included U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer of the Sixth Congressional District and Jason Lewis, a former radio DJ endorsed by the Republican Party as a candidate for the Second District. Neither mentioned Mr. Trump by name but spoke in favor of getting behind the party’s presidential nominee.
“Representative Emmer also spoke about the nation’s debt saying that our government is stealing from our children and grandchildren,” Petz said.
“Pete Hegseth of FOX reminded us that less than 1 percent of the world has the freedoms that the U.S. does, and we need to fight to keep those freedoms,” said Petz. “And Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said we need to reject the ‘police versus community’ attitude and inject the word for in that sentence.”
During the convention it was affirmed that Marco Rubio won the state with 17 delegates, Ted Cruz finished second with 13 delegates and Donald Trump finished third with 8 delegates.
Petz said she and McKeever met with 8th Congressional District Representative candidate Stewart Mills at a Saturday breakfast meeting and McKeever “shared her story of how the Scenic Byways Committee designation of Highway 61 in front of the Satellite Café in Schroeder put her out of business.”
Petz said there was a lot of unity on the convention floor, and grassroots resolutions brought forth by local units like Cook County will be sent to the national convention for further discussion and possibly voted into the party’s platform.
A highlight, said Petz, was the 24 members of the Voices of Gold North Star Boy’s Choir who came from the Twin Cities and opened the convention with the singing of the national anthem to begin the Saturday meeting. “That was a really beautiful way to start the day,” she said.
Leave a Reply