# Republican Party of Minnesota *State affiliate of the Republican Party in Minnesota* The Republican Party of Minnesota, founded in 1855, is the Minnesota branch of the [[Republican Party (United States)]] and the oldest political party still active in [[Minnesota]]. Its headquarters are in Edina, and Alex Plechash has chaired it since 2024.[^1] As of the Wikipedia revision retrieved on October 26, 2026, the party had held no statewide executive office and no U.S. Senate seat since 2011, an outcome the article dates to the 2010 elections.[^1] At that revision the party held 67 of the 134 seats in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]], half the chamber. It trailed the majority in the [[Minnesota Senate]] by one seat. It also held four of the state's eight congressional districts, the same number as the Democrats.[^1] Its most recent officeholder as [[Governor of Minnesota]] was [[Tim Pawlenty]], who served from 2003 to 2011.[^1] No Republican presidential nominee has carried Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972. The article gives this as the longest such streak of any state, and notes that Minnesota alone voted against Ronald Reagan in both 1980 and 1984.[^1] The party's name stands in the caption of *Republican Party of Minnesota v. White*, 536 U.S. 765. The Supreme Court of the United States decided the case on June 27, 2002, and struck down Minnesota's announce clause.[^2] ## History ### Early history Republicans dominated Minnesota politics for roughly seventy years after statehood in 1858, into the 1920s.[^1] During the Civil War, Minnesota backed the Union and abolitionism. Republican candidates regularly took the governorship and most other state offices; by the Wikipedia article's count, the party held 12 of the first 13.[^1] [[Minneapolis]] hosted the 1892 Republican National Convention. The party benefited from a split opposition: the [[Democratic Party (United States)]] and the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party did not merge until 1944.[^1] ### Independent-Republican era From November 15, 1975, to September 23, 1995, the party used the name Independent-Republicans of Minnesota (I-R).[^1] The Wikipedia article attributes the change to two things. One was a widespread view that the Watergate scandal had harmed the "Republican" label. The other was polling in the early and mid-1970s showing Minnesota voters favoring candidates who called themselves Independents over Republicans.[^1] In this period the state party came to rely on grassroots fundraising and eventually went bankrupt. The national party put money into it in the early-to-mid 1980s, and its image and base then moved in a more conservative direction.[^1] During the I-R years the party held both of Minnesota's [[United States Senate]] seats and for a short time controlled the state House. Efforts to drop "Independent" failed in 1989, 1991 and 1993. By 1994 the grassroots had become more socially conservative, and the party restored its former name in 1995.[^1] ### 2000–2010s Pawlenty narrowly won reelection as governor in 2006. The Wikipedia article gives this as the last statewide victory for a Republican in Minnesota.[^1] That year the party endorsed Mark Kennedy for U.S. Senate, and [[Amy Klobuchar]] defeated him.[^1] In 2008 the Republican incumbent, Senator Norm Coleman, lost to Democratic-Farmer-Labor nominee Al Franken by 312 votes. Democrats have held both of the state's Senate seats since 2009, and Coleman was the last Republican to hold one.[^1] Pawlenty did not run again in 2010. The party's nominee, state representative [[Tom Emmer]], lost that race to DFL nominee [[Mark Dayton]].[^1] ## Ideology and voter base The Wikipedia article places the party's base in the rural and suburban areas of Greater Minnesota.[^1] The party's 2022 platform opposed abortion access. It called for reversing *Roe v. Wade*, which the article notes was later overturned. It also called for reversing the Minnesota decision *Doe v. Gomez*, which remained in force as of the article's revision.[^1] The platform opposed legal recognition of same-sex marriage and supported "prohibition of Ranked Choice Voting in Minnesota."[^1] On firearms, the platform said law-abiding citizens should "have the right to purchase and possess firearms, free from any gun registration system." On education, it opposed "any element of Critical Race Theory or associated curricula and programs."[^1] ## Current elected officials As of the October 2026 Wikipedia revision, the party held none of Minnesota's five statewide elected offices and neither U.S. Senate seat.[^1] It held four of the state's eight seats in the [[United States House of Representatives]]. In the Legislature it held a minority in the state Senate and half the seats in the state House.[^1] The same revision lists [[Mark Johnson (Minnesota politician)]] as [[Senate Minority Leader]] and [[Lisa Demuth]] as Speaker of the House.[^1] ## List of Chairs The Wikipedia article lists the following chairs:[^1] - P. Kenneth Peterson (1950–1953) - Ron Eibensteiner (1999–2005) - Ron Carey (2005–2009) - Tony Sutton (2009–2011) - Pat Shortridge (2011–2013) - Keith Downey (2013–2017) - Jennifer Carnahan (2017–2021) - David Hann (2021–2024) - Alex Plechash (2024–present) ## In the Minnesota record ### What - The party's website publishes a release titled *Republican Party of Minnesota Congratulates Tad Jude on GOP Endorsement for Secretary of State*.[^3] - The party's website maintains a party-resources page.[^4] ### When - June 27, 2002: the Supreme Court decides *Republican Party of Minnesota v. White*, 536 U.S. 765, striking Minnesota's announce clause.[^2] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Republican Party of Minnesota* (revision 1380285320, retrieved 2026-10-26) — founding, headquarters, chairs, history, seat counts as of that revision, 2022 platform, officeholders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_of_Minnesota [^2]: Supreme Court of the United States, *Republican Party of Minnesota v. White*, 536 U.S. 765 (June 27, 2002) — decision striking Minnesota's announce clause. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/536/765/ [^3]: Republican Party of Minnesota, *Republican Party of Minnesota Congratulates Tad Jude on GOP Endorsement for Secretary of State* (undated party release) — party's announcement of the endorsement. https://mngop.com/republican-party-of-minnesota-congratulates-tad-jude-on-gop-endorsement-for-secretary-of-state/ [^4]: Republican Party of Minnesota, *Party resources* (undated web page) — party-maintained resources page. https://mngop.com/party-resources/