Discontent about Minnesota GOP chairman Ron Carey's endorsement of Mike Huckabee for president surfaced Thursday night at the party's executive committee meeting in St. Paul, and the committee asked the party's central committee to consider prohibiting paid party officers from endorsing candidates.
Carey riled some party activists this week when he endorsed the former Arkansas governor. Some sources said his action is causing growing discord among Republican activists, with some insisting that his support of a candidate could undermine party unity less than a month before Minnesotans vote in precinct caucuses.
It's unusual for a state party leader to endorse a candidate so early in a presidential race, especially when other party activists are backing other candidates. While Carey emphasized that his support is personal, others expressed doubts that he could separate his support for Huckabee from his role as state chairman.
After the meeting broke up shortly before 10 p.m., party spokesman Mark Drake said executive committee members had "a vigorous, good discussion" of Carey's roles as party chairman and Huckabee supporter.
Drake said Carey's status as party chairman wasn't threatened in the meeting, and that no one asked him to step aside from the Huckabee campaign.
Drake said the decision to consider barring paid party officials from doing similar campaign work in the future was the only action taken.
Were assurances given?
But one party activist who said he has contacts in the room reported that committee members won assurances from Carey that he would limit his campaign work for Huckabee and not use state party funds for it.