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Minnesota Republican Party delegates have elected a new chair to lead the party heading into the 2022 elections.

Former state Sen. David Hann won an election Saturday at a meeting of more than 300 delegates in Hopkins. On the final ballot he defeated business executive Jerry Dettinger.

Hann replaces former state party chair Jennifer Carnahan, who resigned in August after federal prosecutors filed sex trafficking charges against Anton Lazzaro, a GOP donor who had been close to Carnahan. There were also allegations, which Carnahan denied, that she had created a toxic environment at the party offices.

Hann will now work to unite the party ahead of next year's elections, in which all state legislative seats and state constitutional offices will be on the ballot. Republicans have not won a statewide race in Minnesota since 2006.

Hann said it's not uncommon for the party out of power to see gains in midterm elections, and he thinks Republicans will surprise people. 

"We as Republicans believe that our philosophy is more sound than the progressive left philosophy that is dominating,” he said. “And we think that the policies that we want to advance are going to be more helpful to the citizens of the state, and we are looking forward to presenting our case."

But Hann said his first priority will be to complete an investigation into the controversy that led to Carnahan's resignation. 

"What we're doing is we're asking for an outside evaluation of our party finances and a review of our human resource policies, practices, and just some of the things that have gone on in the last several months, to see if there are any lingering issues that need to be addressed, and if so we will address them,” he said.

Hann represented Eden Prairie in the Minnesota Senate from 2003 to 2017. 

Minnesota Republicans to choose a new chair

Minnesota News

Politics and Government News

MPR News Staff

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Minnesota Republican Party delegates have elected former state Sen. David Hann as chair, to lead the party heading into the 2022 elections.

Minnesota Republicans elect Hann as new party chair

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