By David Montgomery

St. Paul Pioneer Press

Potential 2018 candidates jockeyed for support from Republican activists Saturday, even as the party tried to take stock of its victories in the Nov. 8 election less than one month prior.

Three potential Republican gubernatorial candidates took the stage at the Republican Party of Minnesota’s central committee meeting in Lakeville and dished out red meat to an enthusiastic crowd.
Stanek wants focus on ‘working-class’ voters

The most aggressive pseudo-campaign speech came from Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, who outlined a number of qualities he said the Republican candidate for governor needed to have — qualities that happened to match Stanek’s own.

He highlighted his own electoral successes in the Democrat-leaning Hennepin County and called on Republicans to appeal to “working-class voters, even union members like me.”

Stanek fired up the delegates in attendance with calls to “eliminate every ‘sanctuary city’ in the state of Minnesota” by withholding state aid, to give “tax credits for private school and home school” and to fund roads and bridges without raising taxes.

Stanek also defended his decision to send Hennepin County deputies to an oil pipeline protest in North Dakota, and took an explicit shot at Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, a frontrunner for the DFL gubernatorial nomination.
Daudt touts legislator victories

House Speaker Kurt Daudt also gave a fiery speech, in which he called Democrats in the Minnesota House “some of the most extreme, radical people you’ve ever met” and took credit for many of the Republican successes in the 2014 and 2016 elections.

“On average our candidates exceeded the vote total at the top of the ticket by 5 percentage points,” Daudt said, noting that 12 House Republicans won districts that voted for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He attributed this success to an electoral strategy he helped draft after Republican losses in 2012.

Daudt predicted that if Republicans follow through on their campaign promises, voters who swung to the GOP this year would “vote Republican forever.”
Downey: ‘Welcome the Trump supporters’

The most subdued speech by a 2018 hopeful came from Republican Party Chair Keith Downey, whose half-hour address was largely focused on technical aspects of party-building and campaigning.

Downey highlighted the importance of the 2018 gubernatorial elections for the influence Minnesota’s next governor could have on redistricting after 2020. “That is the game,” Downey said of the importance of controlling the boundary lines for congressional and legislative districts.

Downey also called for the party to “welcome the (Donald) Trump supporters” who might not have been active in the Republican Party before this election.
Congressional candidates seek rematches

Rep. Tom Emmer from the exurban 6th Congressional District, who ran for governor in 2010, also spoke at the meeting. State Rep. Matt Dean, another possible 2018 candidate, was in attendance but did not speak.

On the Democratic side, state Rep. Erin Murphy is the only declared candidate so far. Other possible candidates include Smith, Walz, outgoing St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, state auditor Rebecca Otto, Attorney General Lori Swanson and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Several other 2018 races kicked off at Saturday’s GOP central committee meeting in a more formal way. Jim Hagedorn, who narrowly lost a race this year in the 1st Congressional District, declared his intent to run against Democratic Rep. Tim Walz again in 2018. Similarly, 7th District candidate Dave Hughes said he would seek a rematch in two years against Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson.