Downey Announces Bid for State GOP Chair

Former State Rep. Keith Downey has announced his intention to run for the chairmanship of Minnesota's Republican Party.

"Announced today I am running for MNGOP Party Chair," Downey tweeted Wednesday morning. "Our state needs a vital GOP, hope to be part of it."

In an email to Republican delegates, Downey said he would like to see a "redesign of our State Party's operations."

"We need to grow our fundraising and fix our finances," he wrote. "We need to communicate our principles with clear solutions that engage all Minnesotans. And we need to win."

Here's the entire letter, courtesy of the SD49 Republican Committee:

Today I am announcing to GOP delegates and alternates statewide my intention to run for State Republican Party Chair. We have a lot of work to do, and it would be an honor to serve as your State Party Chairman!

At its core, the State Republican Party’s job is to provide leadership to advance Minnesota for the future. But to do that, we need a turnaround.

We need to redesign our State Party’s operations. We need to grow our fundraising and fix our finances. We need to communicate our principles with clear solutions that engage all Minnesotans. And we need to win.

It is a critical time. We must do all this not for our own sake, but for the good of the people of Minnesota and our country. These times demand an excellent Republican Party, and together we can get the job done!

A heartfelt thank you to our current Chairman Pat Shortridge for all he has done, and to his team. We now need to take the next steps, and they are big ones.

As a businessman and recent State Representative, I hope to earn your confidence with the right combination of principle, skill and experience, and a concrete plan for the gains we need to make. Look for more information from me soon.

Thank you for your service to the people of Minnesota, and a Happy New Year to you and yours!

Regards,

Keith Downey

Downey, an Edina native, recently finished his second term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. During his tenure, was a member of the House's Education Finance, State Government Finance, Taxes, Ways and Means and K-12 Education Policy and Oversight committees.

Downey was ultimately unsuccessful in a bid for the State Senate District 49 seat vacated by fellow GOPer Geoff Michel, losing a tight race this past November to DFL newcomer Melisa Franzen.

Current Minnesota GOP Interim Chairman Pat Shortridge has announced he plans to step down from the position when his term ends in April of this year. The MNGOP Chair will be elected during the Republican State Central Committee Convention in April 2013. 

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