2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Mitt Romney Announces Additions To The Minnesota Statewide Steering Committee

Governor Mitt Romney Announces Additions To The Minnesota Statewide Steering Committee

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney announced the addition of four members of Senator Fred Thompson's steering committee who have now joined the Minnesota Romney for President Statewide Steering Committee. These members join the previously announced members of the committee in spreading Governor Romney's message of conservative change in Washington to the citizens of Minnesota.

"I am pleased to have these four individuals join my Minnesota team," said Governor Romney. "These people share in my vision of creating a stronger America through conservative principles such as low taxes and restrained government spending. Together we can create a stronger America for our future."

"Governor Romney's vision, values and experience make him the best choice for Minnesota voters," said Minnesota Steering Committee Co-Chairman Jack Meeks. "Governor Romney is the only candidate in the race who spent his life in the private sector learning how America, not Washington, DC, works. When the state of the economy is on the minds of many Minnesotans, Governor Romney is the candidate with the knowledge and experience to provide the ideas and leadership to ensure that America's economy remains the strongest in the world."

Additions to the Minnesota Romney For President Statewide Steering Committee:

Michael Barrett: Barrett is a pharmacist at Long Prairie Memorial Hospital and a former candidate for Minnesota's 7th Congressional District. He serves on the Republican State Executive Committee.

Bridget Sutton: Sutton is a veteran Republican activist and sits on the board of the Inver Grove Heights Community Schools.

Margaret Cavanaugh: Cavanaugh is the Co-chair of the Third Congressional District Republicans and former Chair of the Third District Republican Coalition for Life. She resides in Bloomington.

Daniel Riojas: Riojas was Political Director for Barb White for Congress Committee and former delegate to the State Convention

The Minnesota Daily Editorial Board Endorses Barack Obama For President

A real voice for change
The editorial board endorses Sen. Barack Obama for President of the United States.

On Tuesday, Feb. 5, Minnesota voters will gather to choose nominees for the next president of the United States. On Tuesday, the Editorial Board urges you to make your voice heard and to consider Sen. Barack Obama for your vote.

MPR Poll: Clinton, McCain Leading In Minnesota

Poll: Clinton, McCain leading in Minnesota
by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio
January 31, 2008

"With just five days until Minnesota's precinct caucuses, a new statewide poll shows Republican John McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton leading in the race for president. The Minnesota Public Radio News/Humphrey Institute poll shows McCain with a 19-point advantage over his nearest GOP rival. Clinton's lead was seven points over Barack Obama."

Janet Huckabee, Wife Of Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee Will Visit The Twin Cities On Monday

FORMER AR FIRST LADY JANET HUCKABEE TO SPEAK WITH STUDENTS, TOUR ANTI-POVERTY RELIEF ORGANIZATION IN TWIN CITIES ON MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2008

Little Rock, AR - Former Arkansas First Lady Janet Huckabee, wife of Presidential candidate and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, will visit the Twin Cities on behalf of her husband's campaign on Monday, January 28, 2008, it was announced today. 

Mrs. Huckabee's visit comes a week in advance of Minnesota precinct caucuses on Tuesday, February 5.  While in the Twin Cities, she will address students at Northwestern College in St. Paul and take a warehouse tour of "Hope for the City," an anti-poverty relief organization, in St. Louis Park.

Monday, January 28, 2008

11:00 a.m. CT - St. Paul, Minnesota - Hosts media availability following a classroom visit and address to students at a chapel service at Northwestern College.

2:30 p.m. CT - St. Paul, Minnesota - Tours the Hope for the City warehouse followed by media availability, 8003 Oxford Avenue, St. Louis Park.

Ron Paul To Begin Televison And Radio Ads In Minnesota

The Ron Paul campaign is putting resources into Minnesota in the form of radio and television ads to start Monday.

Minnesota Secretary Of State Announces First-in-the-Nation, Non-Partisan Precinct Caucus Finder

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie Announces First-in-the-Nation, Non-Partisan Precinct Caucus Finder

St. Paul, Minn. - Jan. 15, 2008 - Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie announced today the launch of a Precinct Caucus Finder, a new free service to help citizens across Minnesota locate their political party's caucus via the Internet. The Secretary of State's office worked with all major and minor political parties in Minnesota to create a one-stop, easy-to-use online search tool with precinct caucus times and locations.

"I thank all the political parties that came together to partner with this office to make this service to Minnesotans a reality. Citizens are served best when we work together," Mr. Ritchie said. "This caucus finder is an important new service that helps citizens take ownership of our democracy."

Minnesotans interested in attending a precinct caucus should go to the Secretary of State's Web site at www.sos.state.mn.us and click on the Precinct Caucus Finder link. The caucus finder will display the precinct caucus times and locations provided by the political parties. If a date and location are not available for a political party's caucus, the Web site directs users to a link to the political party's Web site for more information.

Precinct caucuses are free and open to the public. To participate at a caucus you must be eligible to vote in the November 4, 2008 general election and likely to support the candidates of that political party. The office has prepared a precinct caucus brochure available for download at www.sos.state.mn.us/docs/mnprecinctcaucuses.pdf. The Republican, Democratic and Independence parties are scheduled to meet for their respective caucuses on Feb. 5, "Super Tuesday." The Democratic and Republican Parties will also hold "straw polls" at their caucuses for presidential candidates.

The Constitution Party will caucus on Feb. 2, and the Green Party will caucus on
March 4. The Independence Party will continue to meet online in a virtual caucus through March 4. The results of the presidential straw polls, as provided by the political parties, will appear on the Secretary of State's Web site at www.sos.state.mn.us.

Minnesota DFL Precinct Caucus Frequently Asked Questions

Minnesota DFL Precinct Caucus Frequently Asked Questions
What you may want to know about Precinct Caucuses, Presidential Preference Ballot and National Delegate Selection

Minnesota’s Importance in the Democratic Presidential Race
Precinct Caucus Basics
Presidential Preference Ballot
National Delegate Allocation
Schedule of caucuses and conventions

I. Minnesota’s Importance in the Democratic Presidential Race

Democrats are voting in 22 states on Super Tuesday, February 5. Is Minnesota going to be an important Super Tuesday state?

Yes. Minnesota is tied for seventh-largest of all the states voting on February 5 in the number of delegates it sends to the national convention.

1) California 441
2) New York 280
3) Illinois 185
4) New Jersey 127
5) Massachusetts 121
6) Georgia 104
7) Minnesota 88
7) Missouri 88
9) Tennessee 85
10) Colorado 71
11) Arizona 67

Minnesota’s delegates are awarded based in part on past Democratic performance, which means that our state is more of a player on Super Tuesday than if awarded just on population. For example, while our population is smaller than that that of Arizona, Tennessee, or Missouri, we have more delegates than Arizona and Tennessee and as many as Missouri for this reason.

If the Democratic presidential race is still undetermined, will this affect caucus turnout?

Absolutely. DFL precinct caucus turnout in 2004, the last presidential election year, was 56,000, compared to 12,000 in 2000. Because the DFL moved its caucuses to February 5, making Minnesota a pivotal state in the nomination process, we expect from 75,000 to 100,000 participants this year.

II. Precinct caucus basics

What is a precinct caucus?

A precinct caucus is essentially a neighborhood meeting where DFLers gather to vote on a candidate for President, to show their support for candidates at all levels, and to have a real voice in the DFL Party’s 2008 platform. At more than 4,000 precinct caucuses on February 5, Minnesota DFLers will:

Vote for their favorite Democratic candidate in the Presidential Preference Ballot.
Select delegates to the next level of DFL convention. (In the seven-county metro area, Stearns and St. Louis Counties, these are senate district conventions; everywhere else they are county conventions.)
Elect precinct officers (one chair and two associate chairs)
Debate and pass resolutions for inclusion in the Minnesota DFL Party’s 2008 platform;
Identify DFL election judges.

Who may participate in a precinct caucus?

To participate, you must:

reside in the precinct whose caucus you are attending
be eligible to vote by November 4, 2008
not be an active member of another political party
not attend another party’s caucus in 2008

By signing in, participants state that they agree with the DFL principles as stated in the Minnesota DFL Constitution and Bylaws. Those who will not be eligible to vote in the November 4, 2008 general election may not vote in the Presidential Preference Ballot or in the election of delegate elections or precinct officers, but they may participate in other caucus business.

What time are caucuses over?

Registration for precinct caucuses begin at 6:30 p.m. and caucuses start at 7:00 p.m. The Presidential Preference Ballot is open from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. For that reason, caucuses must remain open until 8:00 p.m., but are free to remain in session anytime after that point (to finish other business).

II. Presidential Preference Ballot

When can you cast your presidential preference ballot?

People can cast ballots starting at 6:30 p.m. and anytime until 8:00 p.m. The balloting will close at 8:00 p.m. unless people are still registering at that time.

Can you sign in, cast your ballot, and leave, or are you required to stay for the duration of the caucus?

You are welcome to sign in, vote, and leave. There is no obligation to stay for the remainder of the caucus.

What candidates are on the Presidential Preference Ballot?

The following candidates are eligible to receive votes on the Presidential Preference Ballot:

Joe Biden
Hillary Clinton
Chris Dodd
John Edwards
Dennis Kucinich
Frank Lynch
Barack Obama
Bill Richardson
Uncommitted
The "Uncommmitted" category could actually receive delegates to the national convention if it reaches the threshold of 15% across the state or in a particular congressional district.

How are Minnesota caucuses different from Iowa? Is there sub-caucusing involved?

Whereas Iowans determine the outcome of their caucus by sub-caucusing, or gathering in small groups to gage support for each candidate, the Minnesota DFL holds a Presidential Preference Ballot, a secret ballot cast by precinct caucus participants. The results of that ballot determine the allocation of delegates to the Democratic National Convention that pledge to support each candidate.

Can I vote absentee?

No. You must attend your precinct caucus to cast your presidential preference ballot.

How are the ballots counted? How are they reported?

After balloting has concluded at 8:00 p.m., each precinct caucus will tally and certify its own results and announce the results to attendees at the caucus.  The caucus chair will relay the results to the chair of the senate district or county in which the caucus is being held. That local party chair is responsible for reporting the results, by telephone or online, to the Office of Secretary of State. The convenors will be encouraged to report the results to the party unit chair at their earliest convenience.

The Office of Secretary of State will tally the statewide results and post them on its website as results become available that evening. Please contact the Office of Secretary of State Mark Ritchie for more information about how they will report the results of the presidential preference ballot.

III. National delegate selection

Is the ballot binding? Is that different from the Minnesota GOP straw poll?

The Presidential Preference Ballot is binding – which means that it determines the allocation of delegates for each candidate at the DNC. This is different from the Minnesota GOP caucuses, where their presidential straw poll is not binding and has no impact on delegate allocation at the Republican National Convention.

Is there a viability threshold to receive any national delegates?

Yes. A presidential candidate must receive a minimum of 15% of the presidential preference ballots cast in at least one of Minnesota’s eight congressional districts in order to be allocated any delegates to the DNC. The Secretary of State will report all the results, regardless of whether the viability threshold was met.

How many delegates does Minnesota send to the Democratic National Convention?

Per Democratic National Committee rules, Minnesota may send 88 delegates and 12 alternates to the Democratic National Convention. Of Minnesota’s 88 delegates, 72 are pledged and 16 are unpledged (the 12 alternates are pledged).

The results of the presidential preference ballot are binding on how the 72 pledged delegates (and 12 alternates) are allocated among the presidential candidates who reach the 15 percent viability threshold.

How are the 72 pledged delegates (and 12 pledged alternates) selected?

The 72 pledged delegates are selected in two stages: at conventions in each of Minnesota’s eight congressional districts, and at the DFL state convention.

The eight congressional-district conventions will select a total of 47 pledged delegates (and eight alternates) between them. The DFL state convention will select the remaining 25 pledged delegates (and four alternates).

How are the congressional districts’ 47 pledged delegates (and eight pledged alternates) to the Democratic National Convention divided among the districts?

The 47 pledged delegates (and eight alternates) allocated to the eight districts are divided as follows:

  Delegates  Alternates
Congressional District 1 2 male, 3 female  1 male 
Congressional District 2  2 male, 3 female 1 male 
Congressional District 3  3 male, 3 female  1 female 
Congressional District 4  4 male, 3 female 1 female 
Congressional District 5  4 male, 4 female  1 male 
Congressional District 6  3 male, 2 female 1 female
Congressional District 7  3 male, 2 female  1 female 
Congressional District 8  3 male, 3 female  1 male 
TOTAL 24 male, 23 female
(47)  4 male, 4 female
(8) 

How do you decide how many pledged delegates each presidential candidate will get in each CD?

The number of delegates each presidential candidate receives in a congressional district depends on that candidate’s share of the vote on the presidential preference ballot in that congressional district.

What Determines The Number of Delegates in Each Congressional District?

The number of delegates in each Congressional District is determined by the DFL performance in each district in previous elections. For instance, DFL candidates get more votes in CD5, which explains why CD5 has more delegates to the National Convention.

Are there any congressional districts that award their delegates on a winner-take-all basis?

No. DNC rules prohibit the allocation of any National Convention delegates on a winner-take-all basis.

How do you decide how many delegates presidential candidates will receive among the 25 pledged delegates chosen at the state convention?

The 25 pledged delegates elected at the State Convention are allocated based on the statewide results of the Presidential Preference Ballot.

How are the 16 unpledged delegates chosen? Are they the so-called “super delegates”?

The 16 unpledged delegates are the so-called “super delegates.” There are two types of unpledged delegates: 14 unpledged Party Leader and Elected Official (PLEO), who are selected before the delegate-selection process begins by virtue of the office they hold or their status as a “Distinguished Party Leader”; and two unpledged add-on delegates, who are chosen at the state convention.

Who exactly are the 14 unpledged PLEO delegates?

The following are Minnesota’s 14 unpledged PLEO delegates:

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Representative Tim Walz
U.S. Representative Betty McCollum
U.S. Representative Keith Ellison
U.S. Representative Collin Peterson
U.S. Representative James Oberstar
DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez
DFL Party Chair Donna Cassutt
Four Democratic National Committee members
Former Vice President Walter Mondale

V. Schedule of caucuses and conventions

Minnesota DFL precinct caucuses: Tuesday, February 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Senate district/county DFL conventions: Anytime between Tuesday, February 5 through Sunday, April 6

Congressional District DFL conventions:

Congressional District 3: Saturday, April 12

Congressional District 4: Saturday, April 19

Congressional District 1: Saturday, April 26

Congressional District 5: Saturday, April 26

Congressional District 6: Saturday, April 26

Congressional District 2: Saturday, May 3

Congressional District 8: Saturday, May 3-Sunday, May 4

Congressional District 7: Saturday, May 17

Minnesota DFL state convention: Friday, June 6 - Sunday, June 8, Mayo Civic Center, Rochester

Republican Party Of Minnesota Precinct Caucus FAQ

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA PRECINCT CAUCUS FAQ

When are caucuses?
Precinct caucuses are being held on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 7:00 pm.
To find the location of your Republican caucus, please click here.

What is a precinct caucus?
Quite simply, a precinct caucus is a gathering of your friends, family, and neighbors to exercise your rights in the American political process. This is your first opportunity during the election year to talk formally about issues, make recommendations for changes to the Republican Party’s standing platform, hear from local candidates, and choose delegates to represent you at later party conventions. You are encouraged to run for elected positions yourself. This is where it all starts, and your involvement is what makes the American political system work.

All caucus conveners and other party officials are volunteers. Like you, they care deeply about the direction and future of Minnesota and America. Some people are experienced veterans, and some are new to the process. There is always room for newcomers!

Why are caucuses important?
The 2008 Caucuses are the first opportunity of the new year for Republicans from around the state to get together with friends and neighbors to decide the direction of the Party for the upcoming election.  Caucuses begin the planning for the elections of all State House members, the eight Congressional members, Senator Coleman and the next President of the United States.  Victory in November begins with your participation in precinct caucuses.

What happens at a caucus?
At your local caucus, you will be able to cast your vote for a Republican Presidential candidate, debate and discuss changes to the Republican Party of Minnesota platform, run for and/or vote for delegates to your local Party convention, and lay the foundations for the 2008 elections.  By attending your local caucus, you will be making a statement to all Minnesotans that you support Republican candidates and take your civic duty to participate seriously.  By attending your local caucus, you make our Party much stronger at the grassroots.

How Can I Participate?
Anyone can attend a precinct caucus to observe. You can participate and vote in a party’s caucus if you live in that particular precinct and will be eligible to vote on November 4, 2008.

What is the Presidential Preference Ballot?
The Presidential Preference Ballot is Minnesota’s Presidential straw poll.  Although non-binding, the Preference Ballot gives Minnesotans the opportunity to voice their opinion on who should be the Republican presidential nominee.

DFL Party & Republican Party of Minnesota Team Up to Promote Caucuses

DFL Party & Republican Party of Minnesota Team Up to Promote Caucuses

St. Paul, MN- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey and DFL Chair Brian Melendez today came together to promote the state's caucus system at press conferences in St. Paul and Rochester.

"Precinct caucuses are the first step for Minnesotans to have their voice heard on who becomes the next President of the United States," said Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez. “This election will help to determine the direction of our state and our country and we encourage all Minnesotans to take part in this process.”

The DFL Party and Republican Party of Minnesota came together last year to advocate moving Minnesota’s caucus date to February 5, known as “Super Tuesday,” in order to have a stronger voice in the Democratic and Republican nomination for President. Minnesota is one of the largest of the 23 states holding a caucus or primary on February 5.

"As a teenager growing up in Iowa, I first participated in a caucus in 1976 when I supported Ronald Reagan for president.  I have strongly believed the caucus system is a great way for people to get involved in politics ever since that day. I am excited to be here today with Chair Melendez to encourage all Minnesotans to get involved and attend their precinct caucus on February 5,” Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey said.

Precinct caucuses start at 7:00 p.m. on February 5. Caucus-goers can find their precinct caucus location by visiting the Secretary of State’s web site (http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us) or by visiting www.dflcaucuses.org and www.mngop.com.

Minnesota DFL & Republican Party Of Minnesota Work Together To Promote Caucuses

Minnesota DFL & Republican Party of Minnesota Work Together to Promote Caucuses

St. Paul, MN- Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez and Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today announced that the two parties will hold joint news conferences in St. Paul and Rochester on Tuesday, January 22 to encourage Minnesotans to take part in party caucuses on Tuesday, February 5.

"Precinct caucuses are the first step for Minnesotans to have their voice heard on who becomes the next President of the United States," said Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez. “This election will help to determine the direction of our state and our country and we encourage all Minnesotan to take part in this process.”

"I am very pleased to join with the DFL in the promotion of party caucuses. Since I was teenager growing up in Iowa, I have been a proud participant in the caucus process. Chair Melendez and I both agree that a strong caucus system is good for all Minnesotans who feel strongly about issues," Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey said.