Looking around the district newspapers and television station newspapers this afternoon, coverage of yesterday's First Congressional District Republican convention ranges from the superlative reportage by Mankato Free Press political reporter Mark Fischenich to AP correspondent Pat Condon's article, edited off the national wire service by several district dailies.
I'll start with the best: Fischenich's front page article, Demmer gets GOP endorsement; Quist concedes after eighth ballot. People at the convention were tweeting about energy and passion, and the veteran reporter captures the drama in deft paragraphs. The final moments of Allen Quist's campaign:
. . .“I admire your persistence,” he told his supporters, “but I have decided to withdraw as a candidate.”
They responded with groans and a few shouted “No”. Several left the Minnesota State University ballroom where the convention was held before Demmer took the stage to accept the endorsement.
The vast majority of delegates — only a third of whom supported Demmer on the first ballot — stayed and cheered. . . .
Fischenich illustrated the difference between Demmer and this Republican rivals:
While Demmer was critical of Walz — joining the others in attempting to tie the former West High School geography teacher and long-time National Guard member to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco — his rhetoric wasn’t as inflammatory as some of his opponents.
. . .Quist said President Obama and Democrats in Washington are consciously plotting to end America’s 234-history as an independent nation in favor of joining a world government. . . .
. . . Jim Hagedorn, the son of former 1st District Congressman Tom Hagedorn, was introduced by his father, who called this election possibly the last chance “to reverse the socialistic, risky direction that Obama, Pelosi and Tim Walz have taken this nation in just one year.” . .
. . . An insurance agent prior to be called to active duty, Engstrand pledged to vanquish “the tyranny we see day after day from Tim Walz.”
“We must walk out of this building today a unified conservative base and destroy Tim Walz,” Engstrand said. “Not just beat him, destroy him.” . . .
That quest should prove interesting, but I doubt Randy Demmer will be talking like that. The Post Bulletin published a much briefer article: Demmer wins GOP endorsement to face Walz in November. Political reporter Heather Carlson closes the article:
Speaking to delegates, Demmer stressed the need to endorse an electable candidate who can raise the money needed to beat Walz. He said told candidates he has the necessary campaign structure and support among potential donors to take the seat back.
As Patrick Condon noted in the AP dispatch below, Walz has raised over a million so far in the cycle and hold close to $600,000 cash in hand; Demmer closed the first quarter with about $19,000 in the bank. Condon didn't note the committee's debts left over from 2008.
The Post Bulletin continues:
"We absolutely have to stand up and tell Tim Walz this is the end of the road. We are going to have somebody who represents our area, that is from our district, that sees things that we see (and) knows we are not going to go down this path of liberal socialism," he said.
Demmer ran for the seat two years ago and lost in the first ballot to Republican candidate Brian Davis of Rochester. Walz beat Davis getting nearly 63 percent of the vote.
The Owatonna People's Press, the online version the Waseca County News, and the Winona Daily News ran with AP reporter Pat Condon's Demmer wins GOP endorsement in 1st District race. The lede is interesting in light of the loud ranks of anti-RINOites in the state:
Republicans in southern Minnesota on Saturday endorsed state Rep. Randy Demmer to run against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Walz in November, opting for a candidate who campaigned on mainstream electability over challengers who courted tea party activists and promised conservative purity.
It took Demmer eight ballots to capture the endorsement; Condon's story reflects the concern from the right:
Some delegates worried Demmer isn't conservative enough.
"Randy is closer to the establishment," said Charles Mills, a retired computer technician from Austin who was supporting Quist. "I think people like Quist and Engstrand want to go to Washington and really shake things up."
Condon concludes:
Having switched from Republican to Democrat four years ago, it's the type of district the GOP is aiming to recapture. But Walz enjoys a massive fundraising advantage so far, starting April with almost $600,000 in the bank compared to about $19,000 for Demmer.
KEYCTV in Mankato (CBS and Fox) covered the endorsement in GOP Endorsing Convention in Mankato. It's a fairly straight-forward report; those not familiar with Demmer can get an idea of his casual, affable style in the non-embeddable clip.
KTTC-TV aired this news segment:
KAAL-TV posted the AP wire story released while the battle was still going on; if it aired coverage of the news, the video has yet to be posted on the station's website.
Statewide and metro media also sent reporters to cover the convention. PIM's Charley Shaw posted Demmer emerges victorious at 1st CD convention after eight ballots, which includes statements by MNGOP chair and taco tycoon Tony Sutton and Walz campaign manager Richard Carlbom.
Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlick reports on the convention, while adding some academic analysis in Demmer wins GOP endorsement in 1st District:
. . .Minnesota State University Mankato political science professor Joe Kunkel doesn't believe Walz is as vulnerable as Republicans believe. Kunkel noted that Walz was elected and re-elected with support from moderates, and even some conservatives, along with Democrats. . . .
As far I can tell, all of the rest of the articles in statewide media--the Strib, the Pioneer Press and so forth--all draw on the AP dispatch. For the moment, this one isn't looking like a nationalized race.
Photo: A tweeted image of Randy Demmer at the CD1 GOP endorsing convention.
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