Rep. Roger Skraba convened the Ely area Repulican caucus at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
And while Mike Lindell finished a third in statewide straw polling, Ely area Republicans voted 27-11 over state winner Lisa Demuth.
Following the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer was offered by Bob Dahlberg.
Skraba had already given a rundown of the timeline for the evening. He went on to explain that delegates need to follow the principals of the Republican Party.
One woman said she wasn’t a Republican or Democrat but thought she would come to see what a caucus is all about. A gentleman said he was from labor and supports labor. Skraba said observers are welcome as long as they don’t disrupt the activities.
Skraba asked if the caucus was willing to accept absentee nominations for delegates. Since there weren’t any, the group voted to not accept absentee delegates.
Levi Levinson spoke in favor of Mike Lindell and said “he’s the guy who can win.”
Bob Tisovich said Lindell has name recognition of all the names on the list. Peg Simonson said Lindell has the experience with election fraud and is the only ticket to electing a Republican governor in Minnesota.
Skraba said the number of delegates that could be elected was 33 for Ely and 13 for Morse, four for Fall Lake, three for Morse, two for Winton and four for unorganized areas.
“My point is it doesn’t really matter, your name is going to be on the list.”
Ballots were handed out for governor. After some confusion over splitting out Fall Lake. The results were Lindell with 27 votes, Lisa Demuth with 11, Kendall Qualls with two, Peggy Bennett with one and a write-in vote for Walter Hudson.
Delegates were chosen with a maximum of 33 for Ely, 13 for Morse, three for Eagles Nest, three for Fall Lake, two for Winton and four more for unorganized areas. Anyone who wanted to be a delegate was voted in. “Congratulations, you guys won,” said Skraba.
The delegates move on to the next level on March 7 in Mt. Iron.
Skraba said if there is a trifecta in the state again, there should be a super majority to pass any bill.
“That way the minority has some say to get bills passed,” said Skraba, who served in the DFL minority for two years. “If we do not organize and go out and vote, they have the opportunity to do that again. It sucks.”
There was a push for people to apply to be election judges.
At 8:25 p.m. the group got to resolutions with Skraba saying there were 10 to vote on.
The first resolution was on changing the state flag back to the original state flag. That one passed loudly and unanimously.
The next was on rejecting the Red Flag Law passed in Minnesota by the Democrats.
Bernie Stahl explained that someone who doesn’t like you can say a threat was made to shoot someone. The sheriff can seize guns without a warrant and it will take three years to get them back with $250,000 in attorney fees. That resolution was approved as well.
Only paper ballots for elections was the next resolution including having no voting machines. Scott Magie spoke in favor of a national computer system that validates each person and their vote. The paper ballot resolution passed unanimously.
A ban on Sharia Law passed without discussion, it was put forth by Bob and Leslie Hamilton.
Mike Banovetz proposed a resolution that would allow for funding private schools with public monies.
“Education is the only thing we don’t have free market economics on,” said Joe Weise.
That resolution passed unanimously.
Hamiltons also proposed that dual citizenship bans people from holding public office. No discussion and passed.
Tisovich proposed banning monopoly of businesses including private equity firms going after small businesses to control pricing. He said that currently includes buying up cement companies to control pricing. Passed with one nay vote.
Registered Communists should be banned from holding public office was offered by the Hamiltons. Passed with several nay votes.
The final resolution had to do with artificial intelligence complexes have to provide their own electricity.
Skraba said there is a push to lift the ban on nuclear power in Minnesota.
Levinson said his engineering institute is going to put Ely on the map. Passed as well. No nays on that vote.
Nancy McReady put forward additional resolutions.
• Support for economic development projects New-Range Copper Nickel and Twin Metals. Unanimously approved.
• Election integrity with statewide voter ID for legal citizens in Minnesota banning drop boxes and voter harvesting. Also, not to have the federal government take over how voting is conducted. That resolution was withdrawn.
• BWCA. Any future wilderness designation must have the support of the U.S. Senators and Representatives of the area where it is proposed and not to use federal monies to purchase lands for wilderness. “We need to have local input on this stuff,” said McReady. Unanimously approved.
Levinson pitched his software engineering firm that he said is “Christ first” and has $500,000 in private funding. “I’m going to be permanently helping this town,” said Levinson. “It’s exactly what Charlie Kirk was doing.”
“We don’t have a Tuesday group that’s why we keep getting clobbered,” said Levinson, who added that he plans to hold weekly meetings.
Skraba wrapped the meeting, two hours and 20 minutes after it started.
