Redistricting has changed the outlines of Minnesota politics this week. One of our favorite wrinkles is in the new Senate District 23, wherein incumbent senator Gene Dornink will be moving to a property he owns in the district--to avoid a contest with Senator Carla Nelson--and the freshly liberated lockdown martyr Lisa Hanson dwells.
Both are seeking Republican endorsement for the senate seat.
Many Minnesotans first met Hanson through Randy Furst's coverage in the Star Tribune of the Pariot Princess's plight in articles such as Albert Lea bar owner who defied COVID restrictions and has been on the lam is arrested in Iowa and Albert Lea restaurant owner found guilty of violating state COVID mandate.
But let us first consider the first Republican to declare for the new, open seat. For the Albert Lea Tribune, Sarah Stultz reported Wednesday in Dornink to run for new Senate District 23, to move to rural Glenville:
Republican state Sen. Gene Dornink said Wednesday he will run for office in the new Senate District 23, and he and his family will move to a house he owns in rural Glenville.
Dornink, a Republican in his first term in the Senate, said living in Hayfield on the edge of District 27, he knew it was likely his address would be moved to another district when the new boundaries were released Tuesday.
He said he buys distressed properties and fixes them up for his business and had previously purchased a property to fix up west of Glenville.
“Ends up, it’ll be the house I’ll be moving into,” Dornink said. Also moving with him will be his wife, Vicky, and three children still in school.
Running in the new District 23 will allow him to serve much of the same areas he represents now, including all of Freeborn County and most of Mower County. The new district no longer includes any of Dodge County, but includes parts of Waseca and Steele counties and further expands west into Faribault County.
He said his children and grandchildren are in the district, as is a lot of his business.
“I feel like I have more work to do,” he said.
With the release of the new district maps, Dornink said his priority is finishing what has already been started at the state Capitol — and then after that the campaign will begin.
“I’m focused on supporting law enforcement, doing meaningful tax relief for Minnesotans, supporting our parents and teachers,” he said. “That’s my focus now.”
He said he is excited to run for re-election to serve the people in the new Senate District 23.
“I will continue to work hard to ensure we have safe neighborhoods, prosperous agriculture communities, and permanent tax relief for all Minnesotans — especially our seniors on fixed incomes,” he said.
He plans to keep his house in Hayfield that he built in 2000, as it is where his children were raised.
The article appeared Thursday in the Austin Daily Herald.
Thursday, Stultz reported in Former Interchange owner to run for state Senate District 23 seat:
The former owner of The Interchange Wine & Coffee Bistro in Albert Lea, who was recently released from the Freeborn County jail for opening her restaurant in defiance of state executive orders tied to COVID-19, announced Thursday she is running for the newly formed state Senate District 23 seat.
Hanson, of rural Hayward, joins Republican District 27 Sen. Gene Dornink, of Hayfield, who this week announced he would also run for the seat, and plans to move from his present home to rural Glenville.
Hanson made the announcement about her run for office during a press conference at her family’s business, A-Best Sew and Vac in Albert Lea, with about 20 supporters.
“As your senator, I will boldly advocate to restore the rule of law and to return our government to the people, where it rightfully belongs,” she said.
Hanson has been a vocal voice against the state executive orders that shut down restaurants for in-person dining in late 2020 and early 2021 and has faced both criminal and civil court cases as a result of opening her restaurant for in-person dining at that time. She has argued that the matter is one of Constitutional rights and said she will continue to fight for those rights, not only for herself but for others across the state and nation.
She was convicted in December of six misdemeanor counts of violating an emergency executive order tied to opening her restaurant during the restrictions, and has a separate case with three criminal counts that is still outstanding. She has filed a motion to dismiss the charges.
“I stood against unconstitutional and fraudulent-issued executive orders dictated by our own Gov. Walz,” Hanson said. “I stand for the people as the relentless voice against lawless lockdowns and tyrannical abuse of power.
“This battle is not over. We have a great deal of work to do.”
She said to guarantee that what she described as “corruption and usurpation of power” never happens again, she announced she would take up the fight in the state Senate.
She said she spent many hours in prayer and in discussion with family and friends about the decision to run and had actually been thinking of doing so for over a year. However, it was when she was in jail, that she decided for sure to move ahead with the idea.
She had decided initially to run for the House District 27A, but when the new district boundaries were released this week, her residence and all of eastern Freeborn County will be in a House district with most of Mower County instead. She said she did not have any interest in challenging current District 27B Rep. Patricia Mueller in the new District 23B, so instead she decided to run for Senate District 23. Senate District 23 includes all of Freeborn County, most of Mower County and parts of Faribault, Waseca and Steele counties.
Hanson said she had not yet spoken with Dornink about her announcement to run for the seat, but said she planned to call him in the near future.
When asked if she would abide by the party’s endorsement for the seat, she said it was hard for her to answer at this point. . . .
Action 4 Liberty's Jake Duesenberg was giddy with his support in Heroic Lisa Hanson Runs for Minnesota Senate:
. . . While being held as a political prisoner, she missed the birth of her newest grandchild, her anniversary with Vern and Christmas with her whole family. Walz and Keith Ellison targeted her because she is a patriot who refused to comply with their unconstitutional lockdowns and business closures.
To right this wrong, she is now running for the open Senate seat to restore our Constitutional government in Minnesota and make sure that Unilateral Emergency Powers NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!
"When you see deficiencies or even corruption within government" stated Lisa, "it is our duty to hold government accountable and this requires action from the People. If we want to effectuate change we cannot sit home and complain about it, we have to take action.”
I view Lisa Hanson as a hero who stood up for what was right. Now she wants to make sure future generations don't lose their liberties by a tyrannical governor.
A choice of conservative candidates in this stretch of the Big Woods and prairie isn't completely new.
2020's conservative choices in Dornink's race
Voters had a taste of conservative choices in Dornink's old district in 2020. Minnesota Reformer's J. Patrick Coolican reported in Some legalize cannabis candidates are giving off very MAGA vibes:
The Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate Tyler Becvar posted a video for his putative opponent Dornink on his Facebook page on May 25, according to a screenshot obtained by the Reformer. His Facebook page is filled with support for Trump and attacks on Democrats, with some George Soros conspiracy theories, as well. Becvar did not respond to a text message.
After the election, the Reformer's Max Nesterak reported in DFL campaigns blunted by marijuana candidates, burning chance of legalization:
A marijuana candidate seems to have affected at least one state senate race, with Gene Dornink edging out Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, by just over 1,500 votes. Legal Marijuana Now candidate Tyler Becvar won over 2,500 votes. Becvar posted a video for his putative opponent Dornink on his Facebook page in May, according to a screenshot obtained by the Reformer. His Facebook page was also filled with support for President Donald Trump and attacks on Democrats.
A test of Hanson organizing?
Bluestem suspects that old school establishment Republicans might underestimate the organizing ability of Hanson's followers. The Herald reported in Murphy wins Freeborn County Republican straw poll for governor:
Lexington Mayor Mike Murphy won the GOP straw poll for governor Tuesday night amongst participants at the Freeborn County Republican Party caucus.
Murphy received 75 out of 230 votes, or 32.6%, while the next leading candidate, former state Sen. Scott Jensen, received 64 votes or 27.8%.
State Sen. Paul Gazelka received 45 votes, or 20.9%; Kendall Qualls received 22 votes, or 10.2%; Neil Shah received five votes, or 2.2%; and Sen. Michelle Benson received four votes, or 1.7%. Fifteen people said they were undecided.
Freeborn County Republican Party Chairman Robert Hoffman said over 300 people attended the party’s Tuesday caucus, which he said was great for a non-presidential election year.
“As the chairman for the county Republicans, I couldn’t be more proud of the excitement level we’re seeing,” Hoffman said. “Metro Minnesota doesn’t reflect the values of southern Minnesota, and in Freeborn County every Republican candidate on the ballot won during the last election. This election seems to mean even more to Minnesota because of the governor, attorney general and secretary of state races.”
Hoffman said he was surprised to see the county straw poll winner be Murphy but was also surprised to see how few votes other candidates received. He attributed this to the many new people participating in the caucus.
Murphy appeared to be the candidate favored by Hanson's allies. However, over in Mower County, the straw poll followed the rest of Republican straw ballots more closely, KIMT3 reported:
In Mower County, GOP voters chose Doctor Scott Jensen as their favorite with 51 votes.
Minnesota State Senator Paul Gazelka came in second with 21 votes.
Doctor Neil Shah came in third with 19 votes.
We'll keep an eye on this state senate contest.
Related posts:
- COVID vaccine stealing guy gets booted from Lisa Hanson's Dodge County Courthouse hearing
- Freeborn County judge has a point about Interchange owner's counterclaims against state
- National Action Task Force: From the mixed-up files on founder Mr. Mark Emery [Boswell]
Map: The new senate district, from Action 4 Liberty's Heroic Lisa Hanson Runs for Minnesota Senate.
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