MNGOPAC announces endorsements in 78 MN House Districts

[bstrawse]

MINNESOTA GUN OWNERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE ENDORSES STATE REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATES IN SEVENTY-EIGHT RACES ACROSS STATE

SAINT PAUL, MINN. August 5, 2014 – The Minnesota Gun Owners Political Action Committee today announced their endorsement of candidates in 78 Minnesota house district races. The endorsed candidates span the state, include both challengers and incumbents, and cross party lines, demonstrating that the protection of the constitutional rights of Minnesota’s gun owners is a non-partisan issue.

“Today, we’re proud to announce the endorsement of 78 additional candidates for state representative in Minnesota, “ said Mark Okern, Chairman, Minnesota Gun Owners PAC. “Each of these candidates is committed to protecting our Second Amendment freedoms in Saint Paul next year.”

The 78 additional endorsements join four endorsements for state representative previously announced by the MN Gun Owners PAC. A full list of endorsed candidates is below.

“This year, there are many races where there is a clearly defined choice between a candidate that does not respect the civil rights of gun owners, and those who do, ” said Bryan Strawser, Executive Director. “We will be mobilizing our grassroots supporters to get gun owners to the polls in August and November on behalf of our endorsed candidates.”

Endorsements by the Minnesota Gun Owners PAC are based on a variety of factors, including candidate surveys, previous voting records, public statements, and grading from other credible gun rights organizations.

“In addition to these endorsements, we are closely watching primary races in house districts 30B, 35A, and 55A where a number of strong candidates are competing in the primaries. We will review these races following the primary on August 12th for potential endorsement, “ said Strawser.


List of Newly Endorsed Minnesota House Candidates

District Candidate
1A Dan Fabian
1B Debra Kiel
2A David Hancock
4A Brian Gramer
4B Paul Marquart
5B Tom Anzelc
6A Carly Melin
8A Bud Nornes
8B Mary Franson
9A Mark Anderson
10A John Ward
10B Dale Lueck
11B Tim Faust
12B Paul Anderson
13A Jeff Howe
13B Tim O’Driscoll
14B Jim Knoblach
15A Sondra Erickson
15B Jim Newberger
16A Chris Swedzinski
16B Paul Torkelson
17A Tim Miller
18A Dean Urdahl
18B Glenn Gruenhagen
19A Kim Spears
19B Dave Kruse
20A Bob Vogel
21A Tim Kelly
22A Joe Schomacker
22B Rod Hamilton
23A Bob Gunther
24A John Petersburg
24B Brian Daniels
25A Duane Quam
27A Peggy Bennett
28B Greg Davids
29A Joe McDonald
30A Nick Zerwas
31A Kurt Daudt
31B Tom Hackbarth
32A Brian Johnson
32B Bob Barrett
33A Jerry Hertaus
33B Cindy Pugh
34A Joyce Peppin
34B Dennis Smith
35B Peggy Scott
36A Mark Uglem
37A Mandy Benz
37B Tim Sanders
38A Linda Runbeck
38B Matt Dean
39A Bob Dettmer
39B Kathy Lohmer
40A Charles Sutphen
41B Camden Pike
44A Sarah Anderson
45A Richard Lieberman
46B Bryan Bjornson
47B Joe Hoppe
48A Kirk Stensrud
48B Jenifer Loon
50A Dean Mumbleau
52A Joe Blum
52B Joe Atkins
53B Kelly Fenton
54A Mathew Kowalski
54B Denny Mcnamara
56B Roz Peterson
57A Tara Mack
57B Anna Wills
58B Pat Garofalo
59B Margaret Martin
60A Brent Millsop
61B Tom Gallagher
64A Andrew Brown
66A Jon Heyer
67B John Quinn

List of Previously Endorsed Minnesota House Candidates

District Candidate
3A David Dill
21B Steve Drazkowski
23B Tony Cornish
47A Jim Nash

[ex-LT]

Next time the Koznick campaign calls looking for $$, I may have to ask them why he hasn't responded to the GOCRA survey. Or better yet, tell them he won't get a dime from me until he completes the survey.

[bstrawse]

Next time the Koznick campaign calls looking for $$, I may have to ask them why he hasn't responded to the GOCRA survey. Or better yet, tell them he won't get a dime from me until he completes the survey.

Good! pressure works - and works well. we had several late surveys, some of which turned into any endorsement decisions.
b

[bstrawse]

We will announce our endorsements for MN Constitutional Offices at noon today.

Bryan

[JJ]

Thansk for the hard work on compiling and reviewing all of this. This is huge for gun owners of Minnesota to have a one stop resource to help evaluate candidates on a very important issue to many!

[bstrawse]

Thansk for the hard work on compiling and reviewing all of this. This is huge for gun owners of Minnesota to have a one stop resource to help evaluate candidates on a very important issue to many!

Thanks!

GOCRA did a GREAT job with the grading and level of detail in the survey reports - which made a lot of this much easier. It was a good team effort to conduct the surveys/questionnaires...

b

[Snakeman721]

Hmmmm, I don't see a listing for district 36B. Melissa Hortman is my current Rep and I'm pretty sure she doesn't like guns.

[ex-LT]

Hmmmm, I don't see a listing for district 36B. Melissa Hortman is my current Rep and I'm pretty sure she doesn't like guns.

Probably for the same reason there isn't a listing for 58A. They haven't endorsed a candidate in that race.

A check of the GOCRA candidate ratings shows that the Republican candidate in district 36B has received a provisional 'F' grade. This means he has either not submitted a candidate questionnaire, or his answers on the questionnaire were not supportive of Second Amendment rights.

[bstrawse]

Hmmmm, I don't see a listing for district 36B. Melissa Hortman is my current Rep and I'm pretty sure she doesn't like guns.

Neither candidate for this district turned in a survey - or had much of a track record for GOCRA to grade. We will re-evaluate if someone completes a survey.

B

[bstrawse]

Hmmmm, I don't see a listing for district 36B. Melissa Hortman is my current Rep and I'm pretty sure she doesn't like guns.

Probably for the same reason there isn't a listing for 58A. They haven't endorsed a candidate in that race.

A check of the GOCRA candidate ratings shows that the Republican candidate in district 36B has received a provisional 'F' grade. This means he has either not submitted a candidate questionnaire, or his answers on the questionnaire were not supportive of Second Amendment rights.

Same situation in 58A - no survey, no real track record = no endorsement.
b

[ex-LT]

Hmmmm, I don't see a listing for district 36B. Melissa Hortman is my current Rep and I'm pretty sure she doesn't like guns.

Probably for the same reason there isn't a listing for 58A. They haven't endorsed a candidate in that race.

A check of the GOCRA candidate ratings shows that the Republican candidate in district 36B has received a provisional 'F' grade. This means he has either not submitted a candidate questionnaire, or his answers on the questionnaire were not supportive of Second Amendment rights.

Same situation in 58A - no survey, no real track record = no endorsement.
b

Got the opportunity to talk to Jon Koznick (GOP candidate for 58A) last night. First question I asked was why he hasn't returned the survey. His sugar coated answer about not wanting to give the opposition an issue on which he could be labeled a radical was weak at best, and bordered on disingenuous. I know he has the endorsement of Mary Liz Holberg who is not running for re-election, and she had an 'A' rating from GOCRA, but it would be nice if he would publicly take a stand instead of cowering behind the imagined threat of being labeled a radical.

In hindsight, I should have invited him out to the gun club to shoot.

[bstrawse]

Thanks for the update!
b

[RobD]

As far as I'm concerned, if they're too chicken to fill out the survey, then we will never be sure how they will vote.

[Rip Van Winkle]

To put it another way, if they are so spineless they don't want to take a stand. they will stab you in the back when pressure is applied.

[cobb]

Thanks for the info b, keep us updated.