The 5th CD Convention was held at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, and Joel Demos was unanimously endorsed to run against Keith Ellison!

Speakers included Governor candidates Bob Carney, Jr. Leslie Davis, Tom Emmer, Bill Haas, Phil Herwig and Marty Seifert, along with many state-wide candidates.

Governor Straw Poll results:

• Tom Emmer: 142
• Marty Seifert: 70
• Bill Haas: 3
• Leslie Davis: 3
• Phil Herwig: 1
• Undecided: 2
• Spoiled ballots: 14

Follow convention updates online at Twitter: #rpm5cd,  #mngop and #mn2010

Hi all, I'm honored to serve as your new SD-60 chair, and want to once again thank Brandon Ferdig for his valuable contributions over the past year. It hardly needs to be said that you'll be missed!

I'm really encouraged to see so much energy, and am looking forward to doing what I can to help convert that enthusiasm into positive results for district 60.

I'd really enjoy the opportunity to meet you all at the upcoming CHILI PARTY this Monday, April 5th from 7 till 8:30 at Scott Weber's fantastic abode on Cedar Lake at 2601 Sunset Boulevard Room 3G (map). I've heard this place is amazing. Scott Brooks put this event together so we can all get to know neighbors and friends of SD60. Meet your precinct chair, meet me, meet the Scotts. You should all swing by and have some chili on us. Should be fun!

Thanks for your support, and your service, and I'm really looking forward to working with you all!

Your new Chair,

Mark Johnson

Check out the new features at the MCRC website, including a section that examines the city budget and items that are nice but not necessary.

Mayor R.T. Rybak wants to cut essential services, police, fire, and city street maintenance, to offset a potential 2.15% reduction in state funding. Shouldn't Rybak first consider cuts to other departments to make up for this miniscule shortfall in a budget of $1.3 billion? We took a look at the city's 2010 budget and found many nice, but not necessary projects that could easily be trimmed down. In fact, many of these expenditures are not the primary responsibility of city government and could be more appropriately and efficiently done by the private sector.

For example, the Community Planning/Economic Development (CPED) has a budget of $86,587,525, over 400 employees, and a mission to "grow a sustainable city." This massive bureaucracy is a tangled web of departments that uses taxpayer dollars to give out interest free mortgages and delve into land speculation while pushing a central planning agenda.

Congratulations to all recent CD 5 Volunteers of the Month!

March: Tom Coulter, Chair, SD-62, has recruited a full slate of candidates for both House and Senate seats over the last 3 months!

February: Nancy LaRoche, SD-45, has been extremely helpful in promoting the fifth district through social media and the CD 5 website.

January: Jennifer Beske, Chair, SD-44 - visit their great new website and join their Facebook page!

December 2009: Nik Ludwig, Chair, Minneapolis City Republican Committee

November 2009: Chuck Wefel, SD-62

November 2009: Red Bartholomew, SD-45

Please thank them all!

Kaylea Crawford,
CD 5 Field Director
Republican Party of Minnesota