According to Michael Brodkorb (ex-deputy chair of the Minnesota GOP), the party is in ruin.
He said, "I don't know if it has reached rock bottom yet."
There are many reasons to believe that the party may not have. Republicans face a long and tedious process of internal reviews, ongoing headlines about the scandal and continued criticisms from the media. This is despite Carnahan's departure. It will be nearly a year before the midterm elections. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Lazzaro was also charged with helping Lazzaro traffic minors for sexual sex.
Four ex-executive directors of the state party called for an external audit.
Julia Coleman, a first term senator, was one of the first GOP elected officials to call for Carnahans' ouster. She stated that one reason she ran for office was to encourage more young people to embrace the Republican Party, especially women. However, the scandal currently undermining those efforts.
Coleman said that Coleman's father-in law is a former Republican U.S. Senator. Norm Coleman. As a young woman, I would not want to live near the MN GOP if I were just graduating.
Before Carnahan was fired, Minnesota Republicans were losing ground in the state. Trump saw Minnesota as one of few opportunities to pick up votes in November's election. Biden lost by more than 7 percentage point. Even though Republicans won a rural seat in Congress and retained a majority in state Senate, they lost ground in the state's populous and growing suburbs. This is a worrying sign for the party's future in this once-promising state.
Minnesotas Democratic governor, Tim Walz, is expected to easily win reelection next year, while one of the states most prominent Republicans is now pillow salesman-turned-conspiracy promoter Mike Lindell.
Some Minnesota Republicans are optimistic following Carnahans' departure. Amy Koch, former Republican state Senate majority leader, stated that the party had gotten rid of a horrible chairman who used a hammer to keep power in this state through intimidation, false accusations, and all things people hate about politics.
She said that this week, a group of activists, legislators and ex-legislators, stood up and said it wasn't OK.
The party is not moving forward in unity, however. Carnahan didn't leave quietly. She cast the decisive vote on Thursday to receive a $38,000 severance. Carnahan stated in a statement that Lazzaros' alleged activities were not her knowledge and she cast the final vote on Thursday to give herself a severance of $38,000.
After being reelected as chair earlier in the year, Carnahan continues to have some support within the party. The rift between her supporters and her critics hangs over the GOP.
Joe Polunc, a former GOP chair from Carver County said that the party will have to suffer some, despite Trump's victory in 2020. This is a rapidly-growing area southwest Minneapolis, where Republicans are losing their voting share. It will be hard for a time because of the media coverage.
Polunc, who claimed Carnahan was unfairly tarnished with innuendo said that the GOP will have to rebrand, unite, and move forward. It is unfortunate, it is certain.
Stanley Hubbard (the billionaire Minnesota Republican donor) said that he doesn't know if [Carnahan] did what they claimed, but that he believes her jettisoning may have been the result of a panic-driven rush for judgment. He suggested that voters and donors might view Carnahan, as an innocent victim.
Minnesota Gov. Scott Olson/Getty Images
The midterm outlook is grim for Minnesota Republicans at the moment. Next year's state marquee election will be the governors race. Walz, the Democratic incumbent, defeated Jeff Johnson by more than 11 points.
The public approval ratings for Walz are still high. The Twin Cities metropolitan area has been so prominent in Minnesota's statewide elections, and so Democratic, that Republicans now face a situation where they would need to build huge margins in rural areas of the state to overcome it.
Minnesota's Republicans are still competitive in rural areas of Minnesota. They haven't won a contest in the state elections in 15 years. The GOP has also been excluded from the presidential races for the longest time, with the last Republican to be elected being Richard Nixon in 1972. The party now faces an internal maelstrom.
Eric Langness, vice-chair of the GOP's 6th Congressional District, stated that when there are these kinds of breakdowns, it can cause angst within the party. It can cause trust and relationships to be damaged. Our party faces serious challenges. It is time to really look at the past and admit that we have made mistakes. How can we ensure that this doesn't happen again?
Jennifer DeJournett is president of Voices of Conservative Women, and a long-time GOP activist. She said that there must be an outside investigation of the alleged abuses of personnel, as well as an independent audit of party finances, before any progress can be made.
DeJournett stated that politics continues to operate. There are many alphabet soup groups that continue to work for candidates and causes. Politics does not stop while the state party works its way together.
DeJournett, along with other party veterans, was there a decade ago when Minnesota Republican Party was facing a similar crisis. The party had run up large debts and the leadership of the party collapsed. DeJournett sees a silver lining to the fact that Carnahan resigned so quickly.
DeJournett stated that the last time this happened, it took many months, months, and months of media stories to reach the final end, where the change needed to take place. It took seven days this time.
The party will first need to elect a new chair and other leadership positions before it can pick up the pieces. A likely candidate is State Senator Mark Koran, who unsuccessfully challenged Carnahan for the party chair earlier in the year. Other names being considered: Kelly Fenton, ex-state representative, David Hann, former state Senate Majority Leader, Harry Niska, Republican National Committeeman Max Rymer, and David Hann, long-time GOP activist and lawyer.
Koran stated that there is definitely healing needed.
It is not clear how the electorate will react to the implosion of the state parties outside the party. Next week's Minnesota State Fair will be the first test.
Polunc will be there at the state parties booth. He said: It will be interesting for us to see how the public responds as they pass, and we will see what kind comments.
He said, "It might be difficult at times."
