FitzSimmons not running in primary after losing GOP endorsement

Re. David FitzSimmons became GOP target after his vote to legalize same-sex marriage.

March 27, 2014 at 11:44PM
Rep. David FitzSimmons, R-Albertville
Rep. David FitzSimmons, R-Albertville (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

GOP state Rep. David FitzSimmons will not run in a primary after a Republican challenger defeated him at a local political convention last month.

"The decision was made by the delegates and I am going to move on in life," said FitzSimmons, R-Albertville.

Local conservatives pressed FitzSimmons to run in a primary after losing the GOP endorsement to political newcomer Eric Lucero.

Lucero and his supporters worked for months to defeat FitzSimmons after he was one of four GOP House members to vote to legalize same-sex marriage last year.

In a show of party loyalty, FitSimmons donated nearly all of his campaign war chest to other GOP groups before losing at his local political convention.

FitzSimmons, a soft spoken one-term legislator who focused on agriculture and education issues, is also working for Tom Emmer's campaign for the Sixth Congressional District seat.

about the writer

about the writer

Baird Helgeson

Deputy editor

Baird Helgeson is deputy local editor at the Star Tribune. He helps supervise coverage of local news. Before becoming an editor, he was an award-winning reporter who covered state government and politics. He has worked for news organizations in Minnesota, Florida and North Dakota.

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