ENCORE: Ron Paul MN GOP Speech Is Something to Tell Kids about, Says Fridley GOP Leader

Ron Paul speaks to Minnesota Republican Party convention in St. Cloud Friday.

(UPDATED) Ron Paul's MN Convention Speech Drawing 5th District Interest

Local Republicans readying for Paul's appearance Friday.

See updates below. Ron Paul is set to speak at the Minnesota Republican convention Friday, and party activists in the Fifth District are preparing for a possible Paul win—with one local activist saying "I get the feeling I'm witnessing history." Paul is poised to make a strong showing in Minnesota after congressional-district conventions gave him 20 of 24 available national delegates. The Texas congressman was denied a speaking slot at the 2008 state convention, but has proven a popular candidate and speaker here since—turning fans away, for example, from an over-capacity speech in Arden Hills shortly before Minnesota's 2012 caucus night. On Monday, Paul announced his campaign would stop spending money in states that haven't yet held …

•  25 Comments
• Photos (1)

Goodwin Votes Yes, Wolf Votes No as MN Senate OKs Vikings Stadium Bill

Final tally was 38-28 in favor; both Fridley senators spoke during floor debate.

A final vote on the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill Tuesday had Fridley's state senators on opposite sides of the issue.  The stadium bill passed 38-28 after more than 11 hours of floor debate, with Barb Goodwin (DFL-50) voting in favor and Pam Wolf (R-51) voting against.  Wolf had pledged to vote no, but Goodwin's vote was a mystery until a Y appeared next to her name on the Senate's electronic tally board—one of the last votes to be cast.  Goodwin had in recent weeks asked constituents for their opinions and abstained during her last vote in committee on the bill. At a hearing last December she called the planned stadium "extravagant." Voting on Amendments The two senators, who represent different areas of Fridley, often voted together in…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Two from Spring Lake Park High School Named National Merit Scholars

Katherine Bodor and Jake Ponto land coveted scholarships.

Two Spring Lake Park High School seniors—Katherine Bodor and Jake Ponto, both of Blaine—are among 47 in Minnesota to win $2,500 Merit scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corp., the organization announced Wednesday. Bodor listed engineering as a possible career field, according to the NMSC; Ponto named finance. Only four other Minnesota high schools had two or more student winners on the list released Wednesday. In April the NMSC announced 1,000 winners of corporate-sponsored Merit scholarships nationwide (none were from Fridley or school districts that include Fridley). On May 23 and July 9 the organization will announce about 4,800 college-sponsored Merit scholarship winners, for a total of about 8,300 academic scholarship …

• Photos (1)

After Decrying 'Ron Paul Libertarians' in GOP, Lynne Torgerson Ends Campaign for Congress

Her new Christians United group 'may make some peoples' heads explode'

A day after slamming Republican delegates in Minnesota's Fifth District as "Ron Paul Libertarians," GOP candidate Lynne Torgerson said she is leaving the race for the seat in Congress occupied by three-term DFL incumbent Keith Ellison. "No, I am not going to continue running in this election cycle," Torgerson wrote in an email to Fridley Patch Tuesday. "The Party is free to fully support Chris Fields." Fields is the rival Republican candidate who won the backing of Fifth District party delegates on the first ballot at their convention Saturday. Not Done Yet "By the way, I am not done yet . . . just going to have some fun for awhile," Torgerson said Tuesday. She is forming a new organization: I recently founded Christian[s] United in …

•  28 Comments
• Photos (1)

Torgerson: GOP Convention 'Overrun by Ron Paul Libertarians'

Ellison rival posts statement after Republicans endorse Fields.

Lynne Torgerson, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, posted the statement below at her campaign website Monday. (On Saturday, party delegates endorsed Chris Fields to challenge incumbent DFLer Keith Ellison.) On Saturday, April 14, 2012, I attended the Republican 5th Congressional District Endorsing Convention. There was a stage at the front of the room. Approximately 6 people were seated on the stage. Every person seated was a Ron Paul Libertarian. The Convention was overrun by Ron Paul Libertarians. More than 2/3 of the delegates were Ron Paul Libertarians. When I mentioned that we were at a Republican Convention, they laughed out loud. They began the Convention. There was no opening prayer. Not even a mention of it. There was also …

•  226 Comments
• Photos (1)

Chris Fields Gets GOP Endorsement to Challenge Keith Ellison

Party picks Fields over Torgerson to take on DFL incumbent in Congress.

The winner of the November election will represent a newly redrawn Congressional district similar to the current Fifth District.

• Photos (1)

DISCUSS: How Does Fridley Feel about the MN Marriage Amendment?

Obama 'does not support' amending the state Constitution on marriage.

President Obama re-election campaign and Governor Dayton gave proposed Minnesota Constitutional amendments banning gay marriage and requiring voters' photo IDs a thumb's down and veto stamp Monday, respectively. But what does Fridley think about changing the state Constitution, now that both questions are on the November general election ballot? Share your opinion in comments below and add your voice to the poll above. Here is what Kristen Sosanie, spokeswoman for the Obama for America-Minnesota campaign said about the marriage measure, according to MPR, and how Republicans in Minnesota responded. (See this post for more on Dayton and the photo ID amendment.) "While the President does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Chris Steller

12:33 pm on Thursday, April 12, 2012

You're right, Nathan, same-sex marriage is already banned by state law. The critical difference, as I understand it, is that putting it in the state Constitution would protect that ban from being overturned in court, like in Iowa.   more ›

Santorum Surge That Got Anoka County Boost Ends in Penn.

The Republican suspended his presidential campaign in his home state.

Rick Santorum's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination—which got a big boost from Anoka County voters on Precinct Caucus night—came to an end Tuesday afternoon. It's exactly nine weeks to the day since Minnesota, and particularly Anoka County, elevated Santorum's candidacy with a strong caucus straw-poll showing. The Santorum surge started with simultaneous wins on Feb. 7 in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado.  Anoka County Precinct Caucus Presidential Preference Poll Results (Source: Minnesota Secretary of State) Statewide, Santorum had 21,988 votes for 45 percent. Ron Paul had 13,282 votes for 27 percent. Romney had 8,240 votes for 17 percent. And Newt Gingrich had 5,263 votes for 11 percent.  (Precinct-by-precinct results are…

• Photos (1)