Minnesota Blue Earth Republican Party Prepares for Election Day
Colin Hanke ® Staff Writer |
Photo by Prasad Pol ® Staff Photographer |
Whether it’s the release of President Donald Trump’s tax returns, the urgency to fill Former Justice Ruth Badger Ginsburg’s U.S. Supreme Court seat or the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, tensions between Democrats and Republicans are running high.
With just weeks to go until Election Day, Minnesota Republicans hope to do whatever they can to turn the state red.
Historically speaking, a majority of Minnesotans have voted for Democratic presidential candidates. In fact, Democrats have taken Minnesota for the past 11 presidential elections.
In 2016, however, Hillary Clinton won Minnesota only by a couple of points. Looking at neighboring states, Wisconsin, which voted Democrat for numerous presidential elections, showed streaks can be broken because President Donald Trump won Wisconsin back in 2016. MNSU’s College Republicans are spending time in the Centennial Student Union registering students to vote in the election to ensure victory for Trump in a few weeks.
Even though the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area is usually progressive and Democratic, rural Minnesota is where President Donald Trump can gain momentum in Minnesota. Here in Southcentral Minnesota, Doug Hitzmann, treasurer of the Blue Earth County Republicans and MNSU alumnus, said, “For the community, we have an office located in the downtown Mankato mall. We are open two days a week for yard signs, literature, and just to talk to us about issues.” Hitzmann also noted, “But we are mainly a venue for yard signs. We are open Wednesday evenings from 5-7 p.m. and then Saturday mornings 10 a.m. -12 p.m.”
Republicans generally oppose abortion and want to defund Planned Parenthood. They support lower taxes across the board, oppose government regulations that hinder free market capitalism, and take a more individualistic approach when examining politics and government. Amongst the COVID-19 global pandemic, Republicans are generally opposed to mask mandates because they argue it should be up to individual businesses and people to make the decision about whether or not to wear a mask.
There is controversy among Democrats and Republicans on the way voters should be voting this year. In some states, Republicans are pushing for in-person voting, saying mail-in voting can lead to inaccuracies and is more vulnerable to voter fraud. (It should be noted that there are virtually no credible cases of widespread voter fraud.)
Trump has expressed interest in defunding the U.S. Postal Service, and has encouraged voters to vote in person this year.
Header photo: The office of the Blue Earth County Republicans which is located in Downtown Mankato. (Prasad Pol/The Reporter)