4 seek to lead Minnesota Republicans during critical time

Despite recent success, Minnesota Republicans are at a critical juncture as they gather this weekend to choose their next leader.

They enter the 2018 campaign with total state Capitol control in reach for the first time in a half-century. It depends on the GOP protecting a now-sizable House majority and claiming an open governor's office.

The party's chair is responsible for mapping out the route, scrounging up some money to assist candidates and make sure the foot soldiers are there to get the job done.

Jennifer Carnahan, Chris Fields, David Hann and Rick Rice are competing for the assignment as party activists gather in St. Cloud on Saturday to select the next chief.

Current Republican Chairman Keith Downey is leaving the post after four years and is said to be contemplating a run for governor.

In Downey's turn at the helm, the party has gained a commanding role in the state Legislature, with the House and Senate under GOP rule. But the party remains in debt and hasn't done one crucial thing in Downey's time, or several years before him.

"We have not won in 10 years! We have not won a statewide race in 10 years," Fields said.

Fields, a former Marine and the current deputy chairman, is referring to a GOP cold streak in campaigns for U.S. Senate, governor and more. The party's last statewide win was in 2006 when Tim Pawlenty earned a second term as governor.

Fields said he would bring a new mentality to the top job.

"My 22 years of service includes four combat tours and a chest full of medals that demonstrate that I have expertise and leadership in strategy and logistics," he said. "Those are the type of skills and the expertise we're going to need to be successful in 2018."

Downey has unloaded in recent days on his separately elected deputy of three years as untrustworthy and ill-tempered.

Fields disagrees with the conclusions but says the unusual move by the outgoing chair speaks volumes.

"No one beats up on the last-place guy, so maybe that's an indicator things are going well for me," he said.

He's not the only one on the receiving end of blows as the vote nears.

Fellow contender David Hann's loyalty to President Donald Trump was questioned in an anonymous email sent to the 344 voting members and a larger pool of alternates.

The former state Senate minority leader, who lost a re-election race in the fall, said he backed and voted for Trump after supporting a different presidential candidate during last year's primaries. But Hann said it shouldn't even been an issue.

"We are not the party of Trump. We are not the Trumpian party. We are the Republican Party," Hann said. "He is our president. He is carrying the flag in that in that office."

Hann said the state party leader must be good at building relationships — with candidates, donors, volunteers and voters. He said he's done that.

"I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to serve the state, serve my country, serve the party in various ways through the last number of years," he said. "The question really is can that experience be put to good use, can it be helpful as we look forward as we build the party and win elections in 2018 and beyond."

As independent groups become a more-potent force in elections, state parties have found it harder to shape messages and raise money.

Chair candidate Rick Rice knows that first hand. He's been a prominent fundraiser for the party and currently holds a spot on the Republican National Committee.

"Folks who used to write big checks — I mean really big checks — no longer write them to the party," Rice said. "The independent expenditure groups have a little bit more leeway because it's not their name on the line. It's not their brand on the line."

Rice said the party must shift its approach accordingly.

"We had 1,322,291 of us who voted for Donald Trump," he said. "You think we could find 5,000 of us to kick in 10 bucks a month in electronic transfer in perpetuity."

Like the others, Rice said winning statewide will come from broadening the party's appeal in urban areas where Democrats tend to run up the score. Even winning 30 percent of the vote in those precincts could make the difference, he said.

The other candidate in the race touts her background in marketing and outsider appeal. Businesswoman Jennifer Carnahan said she's logged 20,000 miles on her car in the four months of campaigning for the job and meeting other Republicans.

Carnahan is a relative newcomer to party activities but already was a delegate to last year's national convention where Trump was nominated. She holds the president up as an example of why she shouldn't be counted out.

"When he ran, everyone was saying 'We don't need an outsider, he's never going to win,'" she said. "You know when I look at our party, Republicans have never been the wait-your-turn party."