Senate GOP to Mark Olson: You’re not welcome

Republicans in Minnesota Senate have issued a news release bashing GOP Rep. Mark Olson. They say Olson, who was endorsed by the GOP, will not be welcome in the party:

Over the last few years, too many Republican office holders, especially in Washington, were given a free pass for personal misconduct because they "voted right." We could all recite the names. Well, it's time we go back to holding people accountable.

While we respect our endorsing process in the Republican Party, some things rise far above process and party in terms of importance. The integrity and character of our candidates and elected officials are two of those things.

In Senate District 16, Mark Olson won the endorsement. That said, we are all well aware that Mark Olson's criminal conviction caused him to be kicked out of the House Republican Caucus as well as cost him the party's endorsement for his House seat.

It is our intention that Mark Olson, if elected, would not be welcome as a member of our Senate Republican Caucus. This is not a matter of philosophy; it is a matter of character and personal integrity.

For the past six years, the Senate Republican Caucus and the State of Minnesota have been the beneficiaries of exceptionally strong legislative leadership provided by former Senator Betsy Wergin. We see in Alison Krueger an outstanding alternative candidate who, like Senator Wergin, combines excellent conservative credentials with a high degree of personal integrity and character.

Accordingly, the Senate Republican Caucus will be throwing its full support behind Alison Krueger and encouraging Republicans in SD 16 to vote for her in the September 9th primary.

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This seems to contradict Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem's thoughts after filings closed. At the time he didn't provide this level of outrage about Olson's candidacy. Is this a case of closing the barn door after the horse is already gone?

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Meanwhile...

6th District Republican Chair Mark Swanson said the Minnesota Republican Party and Senator Senjem should respect the delegates decision:

"We're a party of individual responsibility and local control so I don't believe it's the role of either the state party or anybody else at those levels to say to 92 people who voted for Mark that you're wrong."

Swanson also said he originally supported Alison Krueger (who also filed for the seat). He said she agreed to stop campaigning if she didn't win the endorsement.