Otter Tail Republican Party Chair Sue Nelson will be challenging state representative Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) for their party's endorsement for House District 8B, according to an email sent to area activists.
The announcement isn't a complete surprise, since Politics in Minnesota's October 18, 2013 Weekly Report noted that trouble might be in store for Franson, who survived the tightest recount in Minnesota's 2012 legislative races:
. . .There’s some lingering resentment from activists over the past attention Franson has gotten, and others were miffed by her support for industrial hemp and for backing some form of civil unions in the midst of the heated gay marriage debate last session.
Several activists say Otter Tail County GOP chairwoman Sue Nelson is strongly considering challenging Franson for the endorsement in the race. To hear activists tell it, Nelson is extremely popular with the base and has been active in the community for decades. Her husband has been a police officer in the district for more than 30 years. . . .
Nelson was elected county chair in February 2013, according to the Fergus Falls Daily Journal. On February 2, 2010, the Perham Enterprise reported in Tea Party movement brings big crowd to Perham that Nelson was an organizer for the event:
An estimated 350 braved the icy roads and filed into the Perham Area Community Center for a Tea Party hosted by Heart of the Land Conservatives.
Sue Nelson, one of the event organizers, was pleased with how many people came out to voice their concerns with the government.
“The Tea Party Friday night was a huge success on so many fronts,” said Sue Nelson. “It was a great turnout considering the weather; great response to the speakers and citizen participation, and a wonderful reflection of what the Tea Party movement is all about: a non-partisan gathering of individuals who are mobilized to bring attention to excessive government spending and taxation.”
. . . For Nelson, and co-organizer Gretchen Hoffman, who is running for the state senate seat in District 10B, the Tea Party is all about government intervention.
“Of the people, by the people and for the people,” Nelson said. “That is not a party thing, it is a Constitution thing.”
Nelson blames both Democrats and Republican politicians for creating big government.
“Big government is not the answer and it is high time we realize that, knock off the party crap and recognize first and foremost we are Americans and read the Constitution,” she said.
Incumbent Franson is known as one of the more conservative members of the Minnesota House. According to her Vote Smart profile, the two-term Alexandria representative is ranked 94 percent lifetime by Minnesota Majority (100 percent on positions); 85 percent lifetime ranking by the Taxpayers League; 100 percent by the Minnesota Family Council; 100 percent by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce--and so on.
She was endorsed by the National Rifle Association and the Republican Liberty Caucus. Her 2013 score from the Minnesota Legislative Assembly was 75--which might seem low, except when seen in comparison to such conservative stalwarts as Glenn Gruenhagen (71), Pam Myhra (74), Anna Wills (74) and Nick Zerwas (74).
Here's the email sent by Sue Nelson:
Greetings all Conservatives of the Republican Party of Otter Tail County!!!
After much deliberation, thoughtful prayer and talking with my family, I have made the decision to seek the Republican endorsement for the seat in the Minnesota State Legislative House of Representatives belonging to District 8B.
According to the Otter Tail County Constitution, any elected member of the Leadership Committee, except state central delegates, who announce their candidacy for Federal or State elected public office shall be placed on immediate leave of absence. I have talked with Representative Franson and told her personally of my intentions and will hope that we will all act in the spirit of a conservative family and make decisions that will best serve our district and our state. You all know me to be issue based, and with that I ask that we realize that the true threat to our freedoms is the march of liberalism and those ugly tentacles that would destroy our rural way of life, our families, and our economy.[emphasis added]
I have notified our deputy chair, Jim Eitzen and he will be taking over the reins and the gavel. I have started work on our County convention for March and will turn that over to Jim and others to make that convention highly successful. I trust that we will all pull together behind our acting chair and his committee to continue the outstanding work of Otter Tail County.
As always best to you, God's peace and thank you for the opportunity to work with and for you!!
Sue
We'll be curious to see how Nelson distinguishes herself from Franson on the issues, but we suspect she'll challenge Franson from the right, as absurd as that might seem to many Minnesotans.
Image: Nelson promises to defeat the " ugly tentacles that would destroy our rural way of life, our families, and our economy" so we'll just assume she's hoping the DFL places Cthulhu on the November ballot rather than nominating popular coach and retired teacher Bob Cunniff again.
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