ST. PAUL, Minn. — The state Republican chair, Alex Plechash, denied charges of rigging the party endorsement process against gubernatorial candidate Peggy Bennett. ‘Every candidate but Bennett was able to meet the basic requirements to address the convention,” Plechash said in a prepared statement. Bennett, a five-term state legislator from Albert Lea, claimed the top party leadership, had pre-selected favorites and for endorsement. In effect, Bennett said, party bigwigs pre-empted the role of the 1,800 locally elected delegates at the state endorsement convention from hearing from all candidates. At one point 13 Republicans had announced for governor. In responding to Bennett’s criticism, Plechash sidestepped her detailed claims of organizational incompetence and dysfunction. He focused on Bennett’s main of favoritism. Bennett’s charge of top-down and undemocratic had resonance with GOP critics. They pointed to the era of irregularities under Jennifer Carnahan as recently as 2022, among others
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Plechash. Chair of Minnesota Republican Party.