Note this press release from today:
Dave Thompson Announces Candidacy to become next State Chair of the Minnesota Republican Party
The Republican Party needs a leader who can clearly communicate the Party vision, champion a Republican majority in the legislature and return the Party to its core principles.
When asked about the current political climate in Minnesota, Thompson replied, “I believe Republican Party principles reflect the values and priorities of most Minnesotans. Unfortunately, the Republican Party principles have not been clearly communicated in a way that allows this majority to see that Republican principles are the same as the principles that guide their own lives. As a result, a large Democratic majority controls the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Senate, thus not having enough Republicans to sustain a gubernatorial veto. We cannot afford more of the same.”
Dave is uniquely qualified to undertake this important leadership role as State Chair. For the last 7 plus years Dave has hosted “The Dave Thompson Show”, a program aired on locally owned, AM1500 KSTP. In addition, he has been part of a debate segment known as “Face Off” on KSTP TV’s Emmy Award winning news program, “At Issue with Tom Hauser”. Both of these high profile positions have afforded Dave the opportunity to cultivate and hone his understanding of the issues necessary to lead the Republican Party.
Dave is a life long Minnesotan. He graduated in 1984 from the University of North Dakota with majors in economics and political science. He received his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1987 and has been a practicing attorney representing businesses in workers’ compensation disputes, contract negotiations and estate planning.
Dave and his wife have been married 23 years, and live with their 2 children in Lakeville.
The two other candidates for party chair are Tony Sutton and Carrie Ruud.
Tony is a party insider who has served as Treasurer under current Chair Ron Carey, as Republicans have watched their seats drop to a point where they can barely sustain a veto from Pawlenty. Nuff said!
Ruud is a former State Senator who has some difficulty figuring out what it means to be a conservative. Along with voting for both the Twins and Gopher stadiums she also voted to support a sales tax increase that would have the funds dedicated to the environment and cultural programs.
Thompson has held to conservative principles for as long as I’ve heard him. He’s not afraid to congratulate the folks who take the principled stance or to take down the folks who have strayed. Perhaps most importantly, Thompson is an outsider to the “insiders club” of Minnesota politics and understands that the Republican party can not be a top down organization but needs to support and enable the local organizations that put their souls and sweat into getting their candidates elected.
Stay tuned, I think some shake up in the Republican Party at all levels, may be the only thing that ultimately save it and avoid a third party split.
