Severson wins GOP endorsement for secretary of state
Former state Rep. Dan Severson has won the Republican Party endorsement to run for Minnesota secretary of state.
“Without clean elections, we cannot elect people who are business friendly,” said Severson. “Without clean elections the conservative cause in Minnesota will continue to languish.”
To address the issues he sees with the secretary of state’s office, Severson said he would launch a reform plan in his first 100 days in office.
That plan includes asking county attorneys to address voting discrepancies and a panel of business owners to help Severson figure out how the office can better serve Minnesota businesses.
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Severson is also proposing a voluntary version of the photo ID requirement that voters rejected in 2012.
With Secretary of State Mark Ritchie retiring this year, the office is wide open. The DFL nomination for Secretary of State promises to be the most contentious competition at the DFL’s convention in Duluth this weekend.
Severson won the endorsement after former state Sen. John Howe, R-Red Wing, withdrew his name from nomination after the first ballot was taken. He said that the party shouldn't focus on voter ID issues.
“If we talk about voter ID, we will give this election to Democrats,” Howe said.
Severson ran against Ritchie in 2010 and lost by more than 70,000 votes in the general election.