Bluestem's last post on the resolved challenge to Torrey Westrom's residency in the new Minnesota Senate District 12, Petitioners in Westrom residency challenge referee's conclusion; his lawyers don't, closed with a timeline about what led to the need for the long-serving Republican state legislator to move.
In that post, I asked the question:
How did the extended Westrom family respond to the predistricting preference given to one-term Minnesota House member Jordan Rasmusson, that forced Torrey's move? We're looking to secure one more piece of evidence of that one.
Here's the set-up:
...Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen . . . announced his retirement in January 2022.
That announcement was made before redistricting results were announced by the court on February 15, 2022, Ingebrigtsen announced his endorsement of state representative Jordan Rasmusson before the lines were drawn, according to a January 31, 2022 press release Ingebrigtsen endorses Rasmusson for State Senate.
District 8 became District 9, placing Rasmusson and Westrom together in the same district, while the new District 12 was left without an incumbent.
Westrom's first statement about running again after the new lines were drawn, published as State Sen. Torrey Westrom announces re-election bid on February 18 in the Alexandria Echo Press, doesn't mention the district in which he will run . . .
We can only wonder what discussions went on in the subsequent weeks before the Echo Press published Sen. Torrey Westrom announces re-election bid in District 12 on March 3:
ST. PAUL – Senator Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake, announced his re-election bid to the Minnesota State Senate for Senate District 12 on Thursday, March 3. . . .
A bit more about the Miller challenge, an April 28 news article from the Fergus Falls Journal, Miller responds to endorsement:
The local political season is heating up in Senate District 9 with a face-off between two who are running, Nathan Miller of Battle Lake and Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls), who is currently completing his first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Both are running to succeed retiring State Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria). The contest will more than likely end in a primary showdown.
Miller reacted recently, saying he believes that the party did not give him enough time to gather delegates.
“It’s not that surprising that the established candidate receives the endorsements when he announces two days after the incumbent decides to retire, being Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, and has three weeks prior to caucus to go and essentially stack up his delegates and get people to run as delegates. Then following the caucuses and leading up to the BPOU convention, I announce I’m going to jump in and then the chairs from the counties decided by a majority to push the endorsing convention up four weeks, even though they knew they had another person running. Essentially giving me only five weeks to attempt to get momentum going,” said Miller.
The Republican endorsing convention for Senate District 9 was held on Apr. 23. . . .
Bear in mind that the "established candidate," Rasmusson, served one term in the house.
Who did the Westroms support: the endorsed Republican candidate, or the challenger? What did we find in looking for Westrom family and Westrom compound candidate support in the Senate District 9 primary?
At the top of this post, there's an image of Senator Westrom's former home in Elbow Lake, taken on August 2. It's a still from video evidence in the residency petition.
Note the yard sign along the driveway, in the right-hand corner of the still. That's a Nathan Miller for Senate sign. Now, according to the findings of the referee, Westrom no longer lived at this Elbow Lake residency--but his wife came to the door when a Grant County deputy tried serving her husband with papers about the residency challenge.
Here's a close up of the yard sign, from the same video:
Yes, that's a Nathan Miller sign. So much for party unity.
Moreover, Senator Westrom's parents supported Republican Nathan Miller for the primary in District 9 over endorsed candidate Jordan Rasmusson. Here's a screenshot of a August 7 post on Dennis Westrom's Facebook page:
And from Westrom's mother's page:
A Westrom backer, former state representative Robert "Bob" Westfall, who contributed $500.00 each to Westrom and Miller in 2022, sent a letter to the editor of the Wahpeton Daily News, Rasmusson short-changed rural Minnesota, just before the primary. The letter contained a litany of complaints, including a vote that was a slap across Westrom's face:
...Did you know what part of the rural economy, Rep. Rasmusson voted against Sen. Torrey Westrom’s bill that provided drought relief for farmers? . ..
Apparently Westrom's family didn't know that Rasmusson wasn't alone in that vote. Alexandria area representative Mary Franson, the woman standing next to Westrom in Mrs. Westrom's Leadership photo montage, voted against the "Westrom" bill, as did montage-member Jeff Backer (also a recipient of Westfall's largesse).
In fact, not a single House Republican voted for the ag bill, as we reported in Fickle MNHouse GOP votes against omnibus ag, drought relief conference report. Passes anyway:
. . .But when the agriculture conference report hit the House floor last night--a"conference committee report to HF3420 combines the omnibus agriculture and broadband supplemental finance and policy bill with one that would provide relief to farmers from the 2021 drought," the vote was 69-64, without a single Republican voting for the legislation.
Too much help for farmers? Too much money for broadband? Too much money left for the DNR tree drought relief?
You'd think they'd at least honor Elbow Lake Republican Ag Chair Torrey Westrom's hard work in stealing away the stand-alone HF3420 after he assumed the gavel after the first conference committee meeting on April 20 for it. They kept those empty talking points about how much they loved farmers but hated trees for weeks.
Let's hope the Senate Republicans behave themselves and pass the report before adjournment. . . .
Indeed, we wonder how--if Rasmusson is so odious--Westrom and his Senate Republican colleagues will deal with other Minnesota House drought-relief naysayers ascend to the Senate seats they seek in November's election: Steve Green, Eric Lucero, Cal Bahr, Steve Drazkowski and more. Rasmusson will not be alone, if they and Westrom are victorious in November and head to the upper chamber.
Will Westrom and his family put this in the past as Westrom settles on the placid shores of Lake Mary?
Perhaps the next time a sitting senate retires at the eve of redistricting, she or he will refrain from anointing an heir. Oh, the irony.
Here's the original September 6 timeline and analysis:
An aside: what Game of Thrones prompted Westrom's move?
Moving to a new district certainly must have been a vexsome experience for Westrom. 2022 redistricting didn't follow the pattern set in 2002, when he was serving in the Minnesota House and paired with another Republican state house member.
An April 1, 2002 press release, Local Legislators Announce Intentions for Next Election, announced:
In the wake of a redistricting plan that placed four area state legislators in the running for two positions, Rep. George Cassell and Rep. Torrey Westrom announced their plans today for the upcoming November election.
Westrom and Cassell, who were paired for the same House seat, had three choices. They could run against each other for the Republican endorsement, compete in a primary election, or one of them could choose not to run for re-election.
Both Cassell and Westrom agreed they did not want to run against one another, so Rep. Cassell announced today that he will not seek re-election to the House of Representatives. Instead, he will run for the Minnesota Senate in what is now called Senate District 11.
"Rep. Westrom not only is a good friend of mine, but I also didn't want the Legislature to lose his valuable skills and experience," Cassell said. "Running for Senate makes it possible for the two of us to continue working together and serving this area as a strong team."
The newly structured Senate District 11 is currently home to both Sen. Charlie Berg and Sen. Dallas Sams. Sen. Berg announced last week that he will not seek re-election to the Senate, leaving the path open to Rep. Cassell for the Republican endorsement. Cassell's DFL opponent will likely be Sen. Sams of Staples, although he has not officially announced a bid for re- election.
"The new redistricting boundaries put the two senators at opposite corners of the district," Cassell said, "but because I live in Alexandria, I am centrally located in the new district, and have better access to all the communities within it. For me, it is a matter of being in the right place at the right time."
Rep. Westrom also officially announced that he will seek re-election in the new House District 11A. Living in Elbow Lake, Westrom is also centrally located in his new district. Westrom said he is pleased with the way things have worked out after redistricting and is looking forward to campaigning with Cassell, rather than against him. . . .
Cassell was defeated by the late Dallas Sams, who then lost to Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen, who announced his retirement in January 2022.
That announcement was made before redistricting results were announced by the court on February 15, 2022, Ingebrigtsen also announced his endorsement of state representative Jordan Rasmusson before the lines were drawn, according to a January 31, 2022 press release Ingebrigtsen endorses Rasmusson for State Senate.
District 8 became District 9, placing Rasmusson and Westrom together in the same district, while the new District 12 was left without an incumbent.
Westrom's first statement about running again after the new lines were drawn, published as State Sen. Torrey Westrom announces re-election bid on February 18 in the Alexandria Echo Press, doesn't mention the district in which he will run:
State Sen. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake, announced Friday, Feb. 18 that he is seeking re-election three days after a five-member panel of judges released the new legislative district maps that go into effect for the upcoming election.
Westrom released the following statement:
“As the current Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee chairman, I look forward to continuing to represent the great people in western and central Minnesota and be their champion in the Minnesota State Senate. With the new district lines, I am actively evaluating with family and community members on how to best be that strong voice for agriculture and our traditional conservative values in St. Paul. As a life-long Republican, it is a tremendous honor serving our community. Stay tuned for imminent, detailed news on our re-election campaign."
We can only wonder what discussions went on in the subsequent weeks before the Echo Press published Sen. Torrey Westrom announces re-election bid in District 12 on March 3:
ST. PAUL – Senator Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake, announced his re-election bid to the Minnesota State Senate for Senate District 12 on Thursday, March 3.
On Feb. 15, a five-judge panel appointed by the Minnesota State Supreme Court released redrawn legislative maps based on the results of the 2020 Census. Every 10 years, Minnesota is constitutionally required to redraw its legislative boundaries to reflect population shifts.
“After much prayer and deliberation with my family, supporters and community members, I look forward to seeking the Republican endorsement and continuing to represent west central Minnesota in the state Senate, as the senator from Senate District 12,” said Westrom, who currently serves as chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.
“I want to continue being one of the fiercest advocates in the legislature for agriculture, rural jobs, rural schools, rural health care, and rural broadband expansion, along with fighting for our traditional values,” Westrom said.
The newly redrawn Senate District 12 comprises five of the six counties within the current senate district boundary, which Westrom currently represents. They are Big Stone, Douglas, Pope, Stevens, and western Stearns County. The new Senate District 12 will also include Swift County.
Westrom has represented District 12 in the Minnesota State Senate since 2012.
“It is a tremendous honor to serve our west central Minnesota communities in the Legislature and I look forward to continuing to fight for you and our conservative rural values in St. Paul,” Westrom said.
No news there about the fact that his Grant County and his home in Elbow Lake wasn't in the new District 12.
That first detail first appeared in district media on March 9, when Morris MN radio KMRS/KKOK reported in Westrom to Establish Residence in Douglas County to Seek Reelection:
When State Senator Torrey Westrom announced his run for re-election to District 12 last week, one detail was not mentioned. After redistricting, the new legislative border lines for District 12 which would be valid for the 2022 election do not include Grant County, where the Elbow Lake Republican currently resides. A requirement to represent a district is that a candidate must live in the district for six months prior to the election. The new District 12 will include Big Stone, Stevens, Pope, Swift, part of Douglas and part of Stearns Counties.
In a response to query from KMRS, Westrom’s office said the senator has until May 8th to reside in the district, which he will establish by that time in Douglas County.
To continue the timeline, Bluestem reported on what appeared to be an abortive effort to squeeze a Douglas County lake home owned by the Westroms--but in the new Senate District 9--into District 12 in Will 2020 redistricting plan boundary adjustment get snuck in to let Westrom live in lake house?.
How did the extended Westrom family respond to the predistricting preference given to one-term Minnesota House member Jordan Rasmusson, that forced Torrey's move? We're looking to secure one more piece of evidence of that one.
That was a close primary for Rasmusson, MinnPost's Walker Orenstein reported in Small but mighty showing for anti-establishment GOP candidates in Minnesota primary:
. . .State Rep. Jordan Rasmusson, a Republican from Fergus Falls who introduced a paid family leave bill at the Legislature this year and is in the more centrist wing of his party, narrowly beat Nathan Miller of Battle Lake, whose website decries “weak Republicans” and said his personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic was a gun, not a mask. . . .
Rasmusson's primary victory came largely by taking Otter Tail County, the most populous area in the new district, which he had served in the House. Miller took 61.88 percent in Grant County.
Will there be peace in the green fields of West Central Minnesota?
Related Posts
- Petitioners in Westrom residency challenge referee's conclusion; his lawyers don't
- Referee's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law: Torrey Westrom stays on MN12 ballot
- Westrom residency: an account of the hearing before the Honorable Diane Bratvold
- Westrom residency: Klingbeil thanks intervenor; referee's decision to come no later than Tuesday
- Another MN12 resident moves to intervene in challenge to Westrom residency in district
- MinnPost: if Klingbeil's petition on Westrom's residency prevails, still chance for GOP on ballot
- Swift County Monitor, Black Robe Regiment look into MN12 Westrom non-residency claims
- MN12 Westrom residency challenge: Supreme Court sets August 15 deadline for evidence
- MN12: "We The People" candidate Klingbeil follows through on Westrom residency challenge
- Via personal Facebook page: independent candidate vows to challenge Westrom residency
- MN12: Ashley Klingbeil to challenge Torrey and Dorry from the right for state senate seat
- Will 2020 redistricting plan boundary adjustment get snuck in to let Westrom live in lake house?
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