Three Vie for MN GOP Nod Ahead of Convention seeking to Unseat DFL Incumbent Klobuchar

A lot of GOP hopefuls would like to see  incumbent Senator Amy Klobuchar-DFL handed a pink slip by the voters this November. Three of them are competing for the Minnesota GOP nomination at this weekend’s statewide convention in St. Cloud:  Kurt Bills, Pete Hegseth, and Dan Severson.

Prior to the convention the candidates have been crisscrossing the state trying to drum up support. Two of them were in Rochester speaking to potential convention delegates Tuesday.

Pete Hegseth spoke about his Reaganesque attributes saying he would like Minnesota and the country to once again become the “Shining City on a Hill” that Reagan spoke of. We caught up to him outside a Olmsted County GOP meeting and asked a few questions.

When asked about what distinguishes him from his GOP competitors, he said, “I can beat Amy Klobuchar!”

Hegseth is a captain and combat veteran with the Minnesota Army National  Guard. He recently returned from his latest tour of duty in Afghanistan. He started the influential veterans’ organization Vets For Freedom and served as its executive director from 2007-2010.

See the video interview here.

Dan “Doc” Severson also visited Rochester where he spoke of the need to reach out to minorities who lean towards the Republican and conservative side. Severson is a retired Navy Commander with 22 years of service. He is also a four-term Minnesota State Representative, last holding the position of minority whip. See his comments here.

When comparing himself to his fellow GOP competitors, Severson said, “The other two candidates are great candidates. But they’re not good enough!

“They’re not good enough to win this seat in November!” Severson continued. “This one is. I can do it!”

Kurt Bills was not in Rochester at the same time as the other candidates. Bills is an economics teacher who teaches at Rosemount High School. He represents Minnesota State House District 37B. His website and Twitter accounts boasted this week of endorsements from Twin Cities Radio Personality Jason Lewis and Presidential Candidate Ron Paul.

In a misleading and somewhat fictitious poll conducted in June of 2011 by Public Policy Polling in which Klobuchar is matched up with other Minnesota politicians, Klobuchar leads in double digits. On that poll, Severson is the only politician actually challenging her for her seat. Other candidates matched up with Klobuchar include former presidential hopefuls Tim Pawlenty and Michelle Bachman among others.

It will be interesting to see how the polls change following Saturday’s convention results.