SD49 had a full house to hear from GOP Governor candidates.  Over 80 people came to hear from and talk to the GOP Governor candidates on Tuesday evening, January 23. The program allowed each of the candidates or their representative to talk for several minutes. Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson led the evening off, followed by MN Representative Matt Dean, former MN GOP Chair Keith Down, and educator and Naval Reserve officer Phillip Parrish. Maple Grove mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens was unable to attend due to a commitment in Duluth, but she was representated by Gregg Peppin.

The program was not a debate forum. After the candidate remarks, attendees were able to approach each of the speakers and engage them directly. The format of the evening allowed more interaction, and everyone that had a question or point to make had an opportunity to do so.

On January 25, Representative Matt Dean formally withdrew as a candidate for governor. We will be posting videos of the speeches of the other candidates in future newsletters.

The candidates are trusting us to "do our homework" before the Caucus. They'll continue to meet with voters around the state.  Each has a website with biographical information, issue positions, and planned events, as well as ways to contact them. In alphabetic order:

Keith Downey  https://www.downeyforgovernor.com

Jeff Johnson  http://www.johnsonforgovernor.org

Phillip Parrish https://parrish4mn.com

Mary Giuliani Stephens https://maryformngov.com