Northern Minnesotans turned out for precinct caucuses Tuesday, Feb. 3, to take part in some of the most local levels of political organizing.
Caucuses are the first step of the party cycle, where attendees elect local delegates, vote on political priorities and conduct a gubernatorial straw poll.
The Beltrami DFL reported around 220 attended between its precinct caucus locations in Bemidji, Blackduck, Red Lake, Ponemah and Grygla. Precincts were separated by classrooms at Bemidji Middle School.
Greta Lien, a 21-year-old student and resident of Bemidji’s Ward 3, said this was her first time at a caucus.
Affordability issues were top-of-mind in her decision to attend, she said.
“I think that college should be cheaper and housing should be more affordable and groceries are too expensive,” Lien said. “If my car breaks down, I cannot afford to buy a new car. Like one thing, and I'm cooked.”
Crystal Noble, a 32-year-old mom, said while she has attended a caucus in the past, this was her first time participating.
“There are so many things that motivated me to be here, but my top priority is to ensure that child care is fully funded in the state of Minnesota,” she said.
Political priorities passed via resolution in the Bemidji Ward 1’s precinct meeting included establishing a sulfate standard to protect wild rice, restoring tribal lands from illegal transfers, single-payer health care and affordability issues, from child care to elder care.
Local delegates elected during precinct meetings will meet at the Beltrami DFL convention on March 21, where they are slated to endorse a candidate for the State Senate District 2 seat. The seat is currently held by Republican state Sen. Steve Green of Fosston.
Beltrami DFL Chair Curtiss Hunt said across the precinct meeting locations, attendance was double what it has been in previous election years.
“It's time to turn out and we, as Democrats, feel it's time to take some seats back,” he said. “So, we're fired up.”
Across the state, the DFL party estimated in a news release at least 30,000 in-person attendees during caucus night, with many reported first-timers.
“Minnesotans turned out in historic numbers to exercise their democratic rights at precinct caucuses,” stated DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom.
“When Donald Trump and Minnesota Republicans bring harm and terror to our communities, we will resist. We show up for one another and defend the values that unite us. The Minnesotans who participated in caucuses ... are the fuel of our grassroots engine and will drive us to historic victories this November.”
GOP conducts straw polls for governor race
Robert J. Elkington Middle School in Grand Rapids was a fitting host for Itasca County Republicans from Grand Rapids, Cohasset, La Prairie and 11 smaller area communities.
Roughly 140 participants gathered in the lunchroom to conduct caucus activities, or, in other words, fill out paperwork. Convenor Ken Haubrich said the turnout was fairly typical for a midterm election year.
Haubrich maintained the order of business, sounding much like a schoolteacher. Are we ready to move on? Who needs more time? Alright, time to move to the next sheet of paper.
The first to-do was the gubernatorial straw poll. Volunteers handed out neon green ballots, where local Republicans cast votes closely mirrored by their statewide counterparts.
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth got a little more than one-third of the vote. Veteran and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell were not far behind, with about one-fifth of the vote each.
Three attendees shared who they cast their ballot for, though all declined to share their names.
“We voted for Lisa Demuth, and part of it is because [of] her stand on pro-life and just other conservative values that we agree with,” said a couple from LaPrairie, who have been attending caucus night for six decades.
“I voted for Mike Lindell because he might be a little weird, but I feel like he’s honest,” said a Grand Rapids woman. “ ... And he’s very pro-life, and I feel like he backed that because he gave like a million dollars to the Unplanned movie.”
“Today I did Kendall Qualls. I know his name has come up previously, and again, just looking for more names that the public is familiar with and ultimately fighting for the best chance we have, especially come the end of the year,” another Grand Rapids woman said, noting she’d also support Lindell.
The women said in their precinct, it seemed like most people weren’t set on any one candidate.
“It was like, ‘Who is my top one and two, three, so which am I most?’ Because there’s a lot of options right now.”
Other issues that came up Tuesday night were the new Minnesota flag, school choice and general dissatisfaction with the Walz administration.
“This is like the most important spot,” said a Grand Rapids woman. “ ... It starts here. So, if you really want to have a say in anything, you have to start at the beginning or you don’t even get to choose who your candidate is. You have a voice.”
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