On the eve of Tuesday, February 27, 2024, politically interested individuals gathered at caucus precincts throughout the State of Minnesota. In total, caucuses were held in 4,002 precincts across the state.
This grassroots process presents an opportunity for residents to share their thoughts with hopes of influencing which candidates and issues gain support for their respective political party.
In Preston, Minn., the county seat of Fillmore County, area residents trickled into the Fillmore Central Elementary School. The Democratic-Farm-Labor party met in the computer lab. And, just down the hallway, the Republicans met in the school library.
Fillmore County DFL
The group discussion was led by Jon DeVries. He noted that his wife is the co-chair of the Fillmore County DFL, with an office in downtown Preston, Minn.
There were six people in attendance, with everyone sharing a little bit about themselves around the table.
Early in the meeting, the group watched a video on a tablet, presenting the DFL party contender for the 1st Congressional District, Rachel Bohman, a resident of Rochester, Minn., who will be running against incumbent Brad Finstad.
When it came time for resolutions, discussions turned to water quality issues in the karst region.
There were also discussions centered around workforce housing as opposed to affordable housing. The Preston Veterans Home employment, and how many people working there have to commute to work, was another point of discussion, due to the lack of housing near the facility. The group threw more topics on the table regarding education, healthcare, and the ERA amendment.
According to Jon DeVries, the group meeting in Preston could elect up to seven delegates. The Fillmore County DFL convention will be held at the Harmony Community Center in Harmony, Minn., on April 13, 2024, starting at 1:30 p.m.
Fillmore County GOP
With discussion led by Bob Bergen, a resident of the Forestville Township area, there were 12 people in attendance. State Representative Greg Davids was in attendance, paying a friendly visit to the DFL group prior to joining the GOP meeting.
There were some new faces to the party caucus, seeking to learn more. The group discussed the caucus process and how many delegates could be selected to attend the upcoming local and state conventions.
During the resolution discussion, there were several concerns expressed. There was opposition to the sale of U.S. farmland to China. Others stressed that Minnesota shouldn’t be a sanctuary state for gender reassignment or illegal immigrants. Another topic of discussion was that there should not be a ban on assault rifles. And, the protection of unborn children was mentioned.
Gerald Wolf, who attended the Spring Valley caucus, and serves as chairperson of the Fillmore County GOP, shared that there were nine delegates elected that night from the caucus in Preston. There were a total of 42 delegates elected from all of the precincts in Fillmore County that evening. The Fillmore County GOP Convention will be held on March 9, 2024, at 2 p.m. at Wykoff Commons in Wykoff, Minn.
Editor’s Note: While every effort was made to capture the conversations taking place in both rooms, I was toggling between the two groups. Certainly, not every detail could be observed for this story. If readers have greater interest in what these groups are discussing as we approach Election Day, I would suggest contacting either political party to learn more.