ROCHESTER, Minn. – Vaccine doubter Scott Jensen won the state Republican endorsement for governor in a tumultuous battle at the party’s state convention. It took nine ballots. The endorsement usually is tantamont to winning the primary election, which actually decides who is on the November ballot for governor against incumbent Democrat Tim Walz. On the ninth ballot, Jensen took 65% of the vote at the 2,100-delegate convention. The race was a see-saw, but Jensen’s challengers folded one by one.
> Paul Gazelka, former state Senate majority leader, withdrew after the third ballot and asked supporters to vote for former medical executive Kendall Qualls.
> Neil Shah, a North Oaks dermatologist, withdrew and threw his support to Murphy.
> Mike Murphy, mayor of Lexington, led on an early ballot dropped out after the sixth.
> Kendall Qualls hung on to the end, but his 33% on the ninth ballot was way short.
Historically the convention’s endorsement almost always has assured victory in the primary, which is August 9. The most recent exception was 30 years ago. There is, however, one active candidate who could challenge Jensen in the primary — former Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek. The sheriff is recovering from a traffic accident in April while campaigning on Buffalo. Stanek sent regrets for missing the convention but didn’t withdraw.
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Also at the convention:
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Jensen. His was a bumpy ride. At one awkward point at he convention, Jensen found a need to apologize for co-authoring two gun control measures when he was a state senator. It was “a klutzy moment,” he said.