ALBERT LEA, Minn. — Gubernatorial candidate Peggy Bennett, a five-term state legislator, claims she was treated unfairly by the state Republican leadership. She wants them fired:
> Alex Plechash, state party chair.
> Jill Vujovich-Laabs, political director.
> Noah Rouen, communications director.
Bennett accused them of having settled among themselves on who should be considered for the state GOP convention May 30 in Duluth — and who shouldn’t. It’s supposed to be locally elected delegates who decide endorsements in a democratic process that keads to tge the state convention. Instead, said Bennett, a coterie of bosses was calling the shots. Bennett listed snubs and bad treatment she felt from what she called a manipulative “elite.” Her accusations were in a just-posted nine-minute video. Bennett didn’t name who Plechash, Vujovich-Laabs, and Rouen had “pre-selected.” The 1,800 delegates at the convention ended up endorsing businessman Kendall Qualls for governor. Runners-up were House Speaker Lisa Demuth and MyPillow pitchman Mike Lindell. Although they didn’t receive the endorsement, Demuth and Lindell and four others have continued their campaigns for the August primary election that will decide who finally ends up as the Republican to be on the November general election ballot. Bennett officially delisted herself as as a candidate on June 4.
Bennett. In post-convention video, she accuses state-level Minnesota Republican officials of “bias” and “manipulation.”
Verbatim
Bennett: “Early on I was told by many that the state party and political elites had already picked their chosen candidates. I now believe this to be true. What I’ve witnessed and experienced firsthand within our Republican Party as a statewide candidate is unacceptable. The dysfunction, mismanagement, along with clear favoritism toward preselected candidates is just plain wrong, This is not how the state GOP should operate.”
Bennett details dysfuction, disgust, dismay
In her video Bennett said: “This is not about hurt feelings or sour grapes. This is about truth, because real truth equals real reform, and we desperately need real reform in this state.” No wonder, she said, Republicans have failed to win any statewide office since 2006 when Tim Pawlenty was re-elected as governor. About her own now-suspended candidacy for governor, Bennett said that state party officials promised to provide contact information for county party chairs but never did even after she asked repeatedly. “My team had to find out when and where the candidate forums were ourselves,” Bennett said. “No info on the state GOP calendar. No suggested contacts for connection. “If we were lucky enough to find out about the forums, some were kind enough to let me in and others locked me out.” She also alleged the party bosses had a “pay-to-play” expectation for candidates to participate in the state convention: “Candidates had to pay a minimum of $5,000 each, $10,000 for the deluxe package, just for the opportunity to have stage time and participate in the convention at a basic level.” She said her campaign paid the $5,000, which was non-refundable and due in February. The package, she said, was supposed to include convention speech time, space for a candidate table, and time for on-screen graphics After asking if she could run a video presentation as part of her speech time, she said she was told she could. “This candidate contract package made no mention of any additional requirements for speaking or full participation at the state convention,” Bennett said. However, three weeks before the deadline, and during the busy final weeks of the legislative session, Bennett alleged the party announced that candidates would also need to collect 50 state delegate signatures from at least four of the state’s eight congressional districts. “At first, I was told that candidates who did not gather the required signatures would lose their speaking time and a place on the endorsement ballot,” Bennett said. “Ten days later, I was told we would lose neither. So, I chose not to collect the signatures.” Yet, days before the deadline, Bennett says she was told by Vujovich-Laabs that candidates who did not have the required signatures would be “completely disqualified.” As a result, Bennett emailed party leaders, including Plechash and Vujovich-Laabs, to confirm her status as a candidate: “I received no response, I was ghosted.” At the same time, Bennett said, she received emails from Vujovich-Laabs inviting her to participate in a pre-convention forum. But three days before the convention, Plechash told her she was disqualified as a candidate. Rhetoricallyshe asked: ”Isn’t it ironic that after 12 years of hard work for the Republican Party where I was fully qualified, I was now apparently no longer considered qualified,” On the Thursday before the convention, Bennett said, she was told she was presented with a new option: Collect 47 signatures on Friday and she would be allowed stage time and a ballot spot. After arriving in Duluth at the convention, she gathered the required signatures and waited for instructions on how to submit her campaign video for the stage. “We called, texted, and waited but heard nothing until Saturday morning by email,” Bennett said. Her team brought the campaign video to the convention production staff, who prepared it for her speech. However, while this happened, Bennett alleges Rouen expressed displeasure at her plan to announce her choice as a lieutenant governor running mate on stage and the that fact she had a video to present. She said Rouen then told her campaign manager, “Alex says no to the video.” The denial came without explanation about an hour before hr stage time, Bennett said. “Other candidates had been allowed to use similar materials, so this made no sense.” She described her video as a seven-minute, professional production intended as the foundation of her campaign message, she said: “Without it, and with only minutes to come up with a new plan for my 15-minute stage time, this created a difficult situation for me and my team.” Frustrated, she pulled herself from the speaking list and ballot — and left the convention.
August primary
Democrats in the running: Amy Klobuchar, the party-endorsed choice; Thomas Evenstad; Bill Gates Jr.; Kobey Layne; Ole Savior; Po Vang; and Mohammad Wazwaz.
Democrats who have withdrawn or been disqualified: Rick DeVoe, Paul Ference, Tim Holden, Christopher Seymore, and Tim Walz.
Republicans in the running: Kendall Qualls, the party-endorsed choice; Loner Blue; Lisa Demuth; Raul Estrada; John Krhin; Mike Lindell; and Ross Nova
Republicans who have withdrawn or been disqualified: Peggy Bennett, Scott Jensen, Jeff Johnson, Patrick Knight, Chris Madel, Phillip Parrish, Doug Quenroe, and Kristin Robbins.
Democracy on its head
Bennett is not alone in seeing a pattern of top-down contempt for democratic processes in the Minnesota Republican hierarchy. Such contempt showed itself in Winona in a 2024 election for the state Legislature. A year before the election, the local GOP leadership anointed Winona City Council member Aaron Repinski for the state Legislature and promised financial support. Word was sent up to party bosses in St. Paul, who arranged for a national Republican fund-raising organization, WinRed, to get on board. Within weeks, before any grassroots Republican input, WinRed was blanketing House District 26-A with slick-paper mailers for Repinski. This was weeks before everyday Republicans would have a chance to voice their preferences in the spring endorsing process. This was not only unfair to House District 26-A Republicans but unfair also to Stephen Doerr of Winona who also campaigning. Although a flawed candidate, the official neglect of his candidacy was premature, unfair and bad form — not to mention unethical. Repinski went on to win election to the state House.
Earlier: Bennett gubernatorial ticket falls apart
Earlier: GOP convention backs Qualls for governor
Earlier: Premature though it is, Repinski gets GOP nod