In Downey memo spurs reaction, Politics in Minnesota's Mike Mosedale reported on June 11, 2014:
With the looming prospect of the first truly competitive Republican gubernatorial primary in living memory, GOP state chair Keith Downey wants party leaders to get behind the endorsed candidate or resign their posts.
That demand — or request — was made in a mass email that Downey sent out three days in advance of the state convention in Rochester, where delegates endorsed Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson after four rounds of balloting.
Despite his hard-fought victory, Johnson faces three formidable candidates — former House Speaker Kurt Zellers, former House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, and private equity executive Scott Honour — in an August 12 primary. In the view of many observers, the outcome of the contest will serve as a referendum on the diminishing value of the party’s endorsement.
“Party leaders (officers, chairs, and executive committee members at all levels) agree by virtue of accepting their position to support only the endorsed candidates,” Downey wrote in a May 28 email to all congressional district officers and BPOU chairs.
Party leaders who don’t back the endorsed candidate “should first resign their position unless that party unit’s constitution or bylaws provide otherwise,” Downey wrote. “After the primary, they can pursue regaining their former position in accordance with the party unit’s process.” . . .
Mosedale's article went on to note that Downey was not aware that any party officials had resigned from their posts because of the memo.
Given the photo of a business in Mapleton sent to Bluestem from a friend in Southern Minnesota, we suspect the reluctance to respect the endorsements starts at the top in the Republican Party of Minnesota.
Two signs on Protein Sources' lawn are for Republican challengers to the party's endorsed candidates. Jim Hagedorn is taking on endorsed First Congressional District Republican Aaron Miller, while Marty Seifert is one of three rivals of endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson.
According to the Republican Party of Minnesota's Party Leadership page, State Treasurer Bron Scherer:
Bron has been an accountant professionally since 1979 (CPA since 1981). He (and his wife, Geniene) currently provides financial consulting, advisory and CFO services for companies principally in southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities. He also is a founder and partner of Protein Sources, Mapleton, Minnesota, a large swine management services and swine feed manufacturing company. Protein Sources and its affiliates also raise pigs and have various other agricultural real estate and business interests. . . .
Protein Sources website's Our Management Team includes this bio for Scherer:
Bron Scherer, CPA, Partner. is a founder of Protein Sources and serves as its Chief Financial Officer, overseeing the company’s financial accounting, reporting and analysis. . . .
Perhaps Keith and Bron should have a talk before the August 12, 2014 primary.
Party Unity Bonus, FitzSimmons Style: Are all those FitzSimmons on Protein Source's website Our Management Team page Representative David FitzSimmons' relatives? We believe that Pat FitzSimmons is David's father or a least a close make relative.
Rep. FitzSimmons first drew statewide attention while serving on the Emmer campaign; this Pioneer Press story described Fitz as "a bright young political strategist and pig farmer from Cokato, Minn."
Perhaps the family's faith in party loyalty and the endorsement process got a little frazzled this spring. However, we're not mind readers here at Bluestem.
Photo: Political yard signs on the Proteins Sources headquarters in Mapleton, Minnesota, a town on Highway 22,. Mapleton is a city of 1756 in Blue Earth County; the town is about 98 driving miles south of Minneapolis. Please credit Bluestem Prairie for photo.
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