Horner wins I-P straw poll
Tom Horner, a Republican turned Independence Party member, has won the online straw poll of Independence Party activists. The "online caucus" was held between precinct caucus night on February 2nd and last night. Horner, Rob Hahn and John Uldrich are the three candidates vying for the I-P endorsement for governor (Side note: The three were also on MPR's Midday today). Here's the release from the I-P:
The Independence Party closed its online Caucus at midnight 2/28/10 with solid increases over 2008 turnout. "Our record turnout shows once again that the power of online technology is an incredible asset enabling us to engage with Minnesotans in a manner that is respectful of the busy lives they lead" said political Director Kari Johnson-Robinson. "The Independence Party will continue to use innovative online tools to stay connected with our supporters and ensure they remain constructively engaged in party activities," added Johnson-Robinson.
The preliminary percentages for the first round of the straw poll in the governor's race using Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) are:
1st Choice 2nd Choice 3rd Choice
Tom Horner 50.09% 16.43% 9.07%
Other 24.36% 14.73% 8.78%
Rob Hahn 16.4% 17.28% 13.31%
John Uldrich 3.97% 10.48% 11.61%
54% of online caucus participants did not participate in the straw poll, many of whom may have preferred to learn more about the candidates. "This is not unusual" said caucus coordinator Peter Tharaldson, "Many IP supporters do not like the idea of polling support this early." "With all candidates announcing just weeks before the caucus opened," added Tharaldson, "it's likely they are excited about the overall quality of our candidates and want to give them thoughtful consideration prior to casting a preference vote." Delegates will ultimately endorse a candidate at the May 8th convention in Bloomington.
Final straw poll numbers, after consolidation with in-person caucus results and after running through RCV, as well as additional online caucus polling results will be reported on the party's website www.independenceminnesota.com .
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