by Paul Demko
Published: April 6, 2013
Tags: Bill Paulsen, Bonn Clayton, Chris Fields, Corey Sax, Don Allen, Keith Downey, Kelly Fenton, Kurt Daudt, Pat Shortridge, Ryan Love
Former state Rep. Keith Downey easily won a four-way contest for Republican Party chair on Saturday. Downey took 228 votes on the first ballot -- or two thirds of the total cast.
by Paul Demko
Published: March 27, 2013
Tags: Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, Ben Golnik, Bill Guidera, Dave Thompson, Jesse Ventura, Keith Downey, Kurt Bills, Laura Brod, Mark Dayton, Norm Coleman, Pat Shortridge, Pete Hegseth, Tim Pawlenty, Tom Erickson
Republicans are mired in an extended losing streak in statewide political contests. Since 2006, when Gov. Tim Pawlenty won re-election with 47 percent of the vote, Republicans have been shut out. That dubious streak reached a nadir of sorts last year, when U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar won re-election by nearly 35 percentage points over GOP challenger Kurt Bills.
by Briana Bierschbach
Published: January 9, 2013
Tags: Keith Downey, Melisa Franzen, Pat Shortridge, Republican Party of Minnesota
Downey announced his plan in an email blast to activists on Thursday morning, calling for a "redesign" of the debt-plagued state GOP party. Current GOP Party Chairman Pat Shortridge has said he will step down from the position when his term ends in the spring.
by Briana Bierschbach
Published: December 12, 2012
Tags: Andy Brehm, Ben Golnik, Bill Guidera, Brandon Sawalich, Brian Sullivan, Bron Scherer, Dan Severson, Keith Downey, Kurt Bills, Marianne Stebbins, MN GOP, Pat Shortridge, Pete Hegseth, Tony Sutton
The wounds had started to heal by the time Minnesota Republicans faced each other at an annual activist gathering in Blaine over the weekend. Many Republicans had already come to terms with the drubbing that took place on Nov. 6, when both Republican legislative majorities and two GOP-led constitutional amendments were rejected by voters.
by Briana Bierschbach
Published: November 9, 2012
Tags: Bill Glahn, Charlie Weaver, Cindy Pugh, Cristine Almeida, Eliot Seide, Geoff Michel, Gregg Peppin, Jay McNamar, Keith Downey, King Banaian, Kurt Zellers, Matt Dean, Melisa Franzen, Mike Dudley, Mike Kennedy, Paul Thissen, Roger Erickson, Ron Erhardt, Roz Peterson, Ted Lillie, Tim Faust, Tom Bakk, Vicki Jensen, Zach Dorholt
Rumblings about the marriage amendment’s unpopularity in the western suburbs came early in the campaign season. Orange and blue “vote no” signs vastly outnumbered “vote yes” ones, particularly in places like Edina, and Republican candidates running for the Legislature avoided the issue at the doors and in debates at all cost.
by Charley Shaw
Published: November 7, 2012
Tags: Dave Thompson, Jeff Johnson, John Carlson, Keith Downey, Michele Bachmann, Minnesota House, Minnesota Senate, MNGOP, Ron Erhardt, Ted Daley
What began as a practically giddy collection of Republican activists at the Hilton Minneapolis Bloomington on Tuesday night turned into a scene of despair by the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
by Paul Demko and Briana Bierschbach
Published: October 31, 2012
Tags: Ben Lien, Bruce Vogel, David Hann, DFL, Freedom Club, HRCC, Jay McNamar, Joe Radinovich, John Howe, John Persell, Kathy Lohmer, Keith Downey, Ken Martin, Larry Howes, Laurie McKendry, Mary Franson, Mary Liz Holberg, Mary Sawatzky, matt schmit, Melisa Franzen, Minnesota's Future, Pat Shortridge, Roz Peterson, RPM, Shannon Savick, Tim Faust, Tom DeGree
When it comes to spending by Minnesota’s political parties, the state DFL has emerged as the No. 1 player in the 2012 battle for control of Legislature.
by Mike Mullen
Published: October 30, 2012
Tags: DFL Party, House DFL caucus, Keith Downey, Kent Eken, Melisa Franzen, Senate DFL caucus
The DFL and its caucus units have spent more than $5.4 million during 2012, and have a combined $2.32 million cash on hand.
by Paul Demko
Published: October 24, 2012
Tags: Al Franken, Alliance for a Better Minnesota, Ann Swenson, Barbara Sutter, Cynthia Bemis Abrams, Freedom Club, Geoff Michel, Keith Downey, Melisa Franzen, Nancy Hylden, Tom LaForce
The Senate District 49 contest will almost certainly be the most expensive legislative race in the state. In pre-primary campaign finance filings, DFL challenger Melisa Franzen and GOP state Rep. Keith Downey reported raising roughly $115,000 – easily the highest statewide total.
by Briana Bierschbach
Published: October 19, 2012
Tags: AFL-CIO, ALEC, Alice Johnson, Alida Messinger, Amy Koch, Carol Lewis, David Gaither, David Hann, Dennis Schminke, Doug Wardlow, Erik Paulsen, Freedom Club, Gregg Peppin, Jerry Newton, Jim Carlson, Jim Knoblach, John Carlson, Keith Downey, King Banaian, Kirk Stensrud, Laurie Halverson, Laurie McKendry, Mandy Benz, Melisa Franzen, Michael Brodkorb, Mike Kennedy, Rich Murray, Shannon Savick, Tarryl Clark, Ted Daley, Terri Bonoff, Tim Sanders, Yvonne Selcer, Zach Dorholt, Zach Rodvold
For better or worse, Michael Brodkorb was back on the campaign trail last week. This time, however, the former GOP attack dog, deputy Republican Party chair and Senate communications guru who helped mastermind the 2010 GOP takeover of the chamber has materialized in a glossy pink and blue mailer that’s being used to attack Republicans.
