For the moment at least, the race for the chairmanship of the Republican Party of Minnesota is down to three candidates.
A potential fourth candidate -- veteran state Sen. Warren Limmer of Maple Grove -- said Wednesday he considered running but has decided not to do so.
"A number of party activists had been calling me," Limmer said. "For some reason, they thought I'd be a good candidate to handle the challenges of the party. At this time, I'm certainly going to make myself available for the needs of the party, but not in the capacity of state chair."
That leaves Republican operative Pat Shortridge, businessman Todd McIntyre and 2nd Congressional District Chair Terry McCall seeking the post. The Republican State Central Committee meets in St. Cloud on Saturday to pick a new leader. Tony Sutton, chair since 2009, stepped down earlier this month. The party, less than year out from a crucial election, faces debts and claims that may run as high as $1 million.
Limmer said he is not endorsing a candidate for the job. "Let the delegates solve that," he said.
Limmer spent Tuesday in a meeting making another major Republican leadership leadership change -- the election of a new Senate Majority Leader. Sen. David Senjem, R-Rochester, was elected to replace Sen. Amy Koch, R-Buffalo, who stepped down from the leadership position Dec. 15 and admitted having a relationship with a Senate staffer.
