Local Republicans finalized their entrants Thursday night for Minnesota’s legislative race.

The Mower County GOP chose three candidates at an endorsing convention: House District 27B incumbent Rich Murray, of Albert Lea; House District 27A candidate Nathan Neitzell; and Senate District 27 candidate Linden Anderson.

Neitzell, an Austin resident who will challenge incumbent Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin, warned that the country was going in a hazardous direction.

“If we don’t turn around very, very quickly, Europe is our future,” he said. He cautioned that riots and anarchy could be just around the corner, and taxes and big government were not the answer.

“I look forward to winning this election and bringing sanity back into politics,” he said.

Anderson, a Waltham native who runs against Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, said Democrats were taking the country apart one piece at a time, whether in relation to the family, the Ten Commandments or same-sex marriage. He told Republican delegates that Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act should scare them.

“We need to leave this place, this country, better,” Anderson said. “I want to go up and help change things and get us on the right path.”

After the new candidates spoke, Murray called on local Republicans to support them.

“We have two great candidates here, and you need to get behind them,” he said. “The ultimate goal: more Republicans in St. Paul.”

While the government can’t create jobs itself, Murray said, its responsibility is to create an environment more friendly toward job creation.

“We do not do a good job of helping businesses grow and helping new businesses start,” he said.

He also encouraged the delegates present to keep a firm presence in the eyes of the Legislature.

“People in Greater Minnesota have to stick together,” he said. “Our voices are getting smaller and smaller. We don’t want the crumbs from the Cities.”

Murray is running for his second term. He defeated DFLer Robin Brown by a slim margin of 57 votes in the 2010 election.

After acknowledging recent Supreme Court decisions to be “not as friendly as we would have liked,” Mower County GOP Chair Dennis Schminke advised delegates to stay determined as November nears.

“The party exists to win elections,” he said. “That is our primary purpose.”

Mower GOP members discussed canvassing strategies for the coming months, giving special emphasis to upcoming Fourth of July parades. Murray told the other candidates that being accessible to voters was key.

“Get out and get door knocking; it’s still the gold standard,” Murray said, adding he had visited 4,000 residences in the district so far.