2012 Caucus

Post-Caucus Update

Thank you to all of those that attended our caucuses. We had 524 votes cast in the Presidential Straw Poll between our two caucus locations (Mankato and Mapleton). The vote totals, which are also available from the Secretary of State web site, were:

Paul: 268 (51.15%)
Santorum: 157 (29.96%)
Romney: 65 (12.4%)
Gingrich: 32 (6.11%)
Other: 2 (0.38%)

Thanks also to candidates Mike Parry (for Congress) and Chris Cousins (for State Senate) for speaking to the assembly, to those who made speeches on behalf of other candidates, and to our many volunteers who helped make the evening a success!

If you have feedback about how our caucus went (good or bad), you may leave a comment on this post or email caucus@becgop.com.

2012 Caucus

We look forward to seeing you at the 2012 Republican Party Caucus in Blue Earth County! We're anticipating a great turnout.

New to caucus?

Read the Republican Party of Minnesota's Caucus Guide (.pdf) and the Minnesota Secretary of State's Caucus Questions page.

What to wear to the caucus? There is no dress code, but attendees generally wear business casual or jeans and a buttoned shirt. You are allowed to wear clothing, stickers, and buttons in support of your favored candidate(s).

Caucus date

The caucus is held this Tuesday, February 7, 2012, beginning at 7 p.m. You should arrive at least 10 minutes early if possible so that you can find your precinct's caucus location. If you are a Facebook user, please RSVP and share the Blue Earth County Republicans Caucus event. Thank you!

Can't attend?

If you cannot attend the caucus but would still like to support your local Republican party, your donations and volunteer time are greatly appreciated!

Caucus location

Your caucus location varies based on where you live. Note that your caucus location is probably NOT where you vote in local or state elections.

• If you live in the northern half of Blue Earth County (Mankato, Lake Crystal, Madison Lake, Eagle Lake, St Clair, etc.), you will caucus at Mankato East High School, 2600 Hoffman Road, Mankato, MN 56001 (map)
   
  
• If you live in the southern half of Blue Earth County (Mapleton, Good Thunder, Minnesota Lake, Vernon Center, etc.), you will caucus at Maple River School, 101 6th Ave NE, Mapleton, MN 56065 (map)
  

If you are not sure of your precinct, you can find it by visiting the Republican Party of Minnesota's Precinct Lookup or the Minnesota Secretary of State's Caucus Finder. Please write down your precinct name or number and bring it to the caucus location with you. This will save you time, and reduce the number of precinct look-ups needed on caucus night.

Speaking

Candidates, or those speaking on behalf of candidates, may speak for up to three minutes to the assembly, before we split to our individual precinct meetings. No candidate may be represented by more than one speaker. Campaigns may send a letter or other materials to the attendees, which will be placed on a table in the registration area. Eligible participants may speak to their individual precinct caucuses.

Presidential Straw Poll

There will be a Presidential Straw Poll held at the individual
precinct caucuses. To vote, you must be an eligible caucus participant:
You must reside in the precinct, you must be eligible to vote in the
General Election in November, and you must generally agree with the Platform of the Republican Party of Minnesota.

Who is running?

• Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum.

• For Senate against Amy Klobuchar: Joe Arwood, Anthony Hernandez, Dan "Doc" Severson, Harold Shudlick.
• For Congress in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District against Tim Walz: Mike Parry, Allen Quist.
• For Minnesota legislature in Blue Earth County: Julie Rosen, Tony Cornish, Chris Cousins.

Changing the Platform

If you would like to suggest a change to the Republican Party of Minnesota's Platform, download the Caucus Guide (.pdf). The guide includes the platform and a Resolution form for submitting changes. At the caucus, you can submit your resolution, where it will be discussed and voted on by participants in your precinct. If your resolution passes, it will be sent to the County Convention for further discussion. If your resolution is supported there, and similar resolutions around the state are also supported, the changes could make it into the new Platform.

Becoming a delegate

If you would like to be a voting member at the Blue Earth County Republicans' County Conventions on March 3, 2012, and in Spring 2013, you must be elected a delegate or alternate at the 2012 Precinct Caucus. The duties of delegates and alternates are: to attend the County Convention this year and next year, to support the Party and candidates financially, and/or help with local Republican Party projects as requested. There is a registration fee for each County Convention to help the Blue Earth County Republicans cover expenses. The 2012 County Convention fee is $20 at the door, $15 in advance, or $10 for students.

In the following tables, the number of delegates allotted is listed for each precinct. For each delegate allotted, an alternate is allotted.

Precincts caucusing at Mankato East High School:

Precincts Caucusing at Maple River School