Wendy Phillips visits Bemidji as GOP secretary of state race takes shape

Wendy Phillips brought her bid for Minnesota secretary of state to Bemidji, where Beltrami County Republicans are using local meetings to size up candidates before the party’s Duluth convention.

Phillips spoke to the Beltrami County GOP at its monthly meeting in the Paul Bunyan Mall, Suite 102, 1401 Paul Bunyan Drive NW. The stop came as the Republican field for secretary of state was taking shape, with Phillips, Tad Jude and David Meissner all listed as statewide candidates who have agreed to abide by the party endorsement.

That matters in Beltrami County because the secretary of state is not a ceremonial office. Steve Simon, Minnesota’s 22nd secretary of state, has served since Jan. 5, 2015, and the office describes itself as the state’s chief elections administrator. It works with county auditors, municipal clerks, county attorneys and local law enforcement on election-law issues, putting the office at the center of how Minnesotans register, vote and resolve election disputes.

The race is still in its early stages. Minnesota’s filing period for secretary of state runs from May 19 through June 2 at 5 p.m., and Republicans are heading toward their state convention May 29-30 at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. The party’s state central committee will meet there May 28, with delegates set to choose endorsed candidates for constitutional offices. The precinct caucus stage already passed on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m., which left local party meetings like Beltrami County’s as one of the next places where candidates could make their case.

For Bemidji and the rest of northwest Minnesota, the contest will shape how the state presents election information and how much attention it gives to rural voters trying to navigate the process. The secretary of state’s office offers voter tools that include polling place locations, ballot contents and precinct and caucus location information, details that often matter most in counties where voters may travel farther and rely more heavily on clear election guidance.

Beltrami County Republicans plan to host multiple candidates before delegates head to Duluth, giving local activists an early chance to compare contenders in a race that could influence Minnesota’s election system for years to come.