♪♪ >> CATHY: A NEW STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR WAS ELECTED THIS PAST DECEMBER, PUSHING OUT FORMER CHAIR DAVID HANN.

A WAYZATA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, MARINE, AND FORMER RNC NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN, ALEX PLECHASH.

Mr.

CHAIR, WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU.

IT'S NICE TO BE HERE.

>> Cathy: IS THIS THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR US.

>> WELL, I THINK HE'S CERTAINLY CHALLENGES IS HIS.

HE'S MAKING THE RIGHT APPOINTMENTS.

HE'S LEADING FROM HE FRONT.

HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO DO THINGS AND HE'S DOING THEM IN RECORD TIME.

>> Cathy: DID THAT SURPRISE YOU IN TERMS OF HOW FAST THINGS ARE GOING?

>> NOT REALLY.

NOT THE WAY I'VE SEEN HIM CAMPAIGN.

I THINK HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB SO FAR IN PICKING THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE RIGHT POSITIONS AND LEADING FROM THE FRONT.

HE'S DOING THE THINGS HE SAID HE WAS GOB DO.

>> Eric: WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN ADVANCE F THE 2026 ELECTION WHEN GOVERNOR AND ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE, CONGRESS, A SENATE SEAT IS UP.

WHAT'S THE SHORT TERM GOAL FOR 2026.

>> FOR OUR STATE?

>> Eric: FOR THE PARTY.

>> WELL, BASICALLY THE CAMPAIGN HAS LREADY STARTED.

WE MAY NOT KNOW WHO THE CANDIDATES ARE, BUT WE'RE PUTTING IN THE GROUND WORK.

AND I TELL PEOPLE THAT MINNESOTA IS JUST RAZOR HIN CLOSE TO BEING A RED STATE.

AND MY FEELING IS THAT THERE ARE A OT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO SHARE OUR VALUES.

THEY JUST DON'T KNOW IT.

YOU KNOW, THEY NOW THEIR PERSONAL VALUES, BUT A LOT F THEM HAVEN'T SEEN REPUBLICANS.

IF WE'RE GOING TO GO IN THOSE AREAS AND TALK TO THOSE PEOPLE AND SHARE OUR VALUES AND PEOPLE WILL BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT THE VALUES THEY HOLD ARE ACTUALLY CLOSER TO OUR PARTY THAN THE DEVELOPMENTS.

>> Cathy: BY, I TELL YOU, IT'S BEEN TOUGH FOR THE PARTY TO RAISE MONEY OBVIOUSLY AND YOU HAVEN'T WON STATEWIDE SINCE 2006.

SO THAT'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO.

>> IT SURE ASK, YEAH.

AND WE KNOW THAT.

LIKE I SAID, I WAS JUST OFF CAMERA WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MY LEADERSHIP TEAM.

I HAVE A TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP TEAM AROUND ME AND LIKE I SAID OFF CAMERA, IS THE WAY TO SUCCESS IS TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE BETTER THAN YOU ARE AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT.

BUT WE'RE LAYING THE GROUND WORK FOR SUCCESS IN 2026 AND EVERY INCH OF THE WAY WE'RE DOING THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO TO PREPARE FOR THAT.

>> Eric: IS ONE OF THE ROLES OF A PARTY CHAIR TO KIND OF MEDIATE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE VARIOUS WINGS OF THE PARTY?

I KNOW GOING BACK MANY YEARS, THAT SEEMS TO BE ONE THING THAT THE CHAIR IS CALLED UPON TO DO.

>> WELL, I'M BEING CALLED TO DO THAT TOO.

THERE CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN FRACTIONS WITHIN THE STATE PARTY AND I BELIEVE THAT A LARGE PART OF WHY I GOT ELECTED IS TO GO AHEAD AND MEND THOSE FEBSES AND BUILD THOSE BRIDGES.

>> Eric: HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT IT?

>> ONE OF MY PHILOSOPHIES OVER TIME IS YOU ACTUALLY LISTEN TO PEOPLE.

YOU ACTUALLY APPROACH THEM LIKE YOU ACTUALLY LIKE THIS PERSON.

BUT IN THE CHRISTIAN SENSE, YOU LOVE THAT PERSON FIRST AND THEN YOU ISTEN TO THEM.

YOU DON'T SPEAK.

YOU LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.

AND THEN YOU DISCERN, WHAT IS IT THEY'RE TRYING TO SAY BEFORE YOU SPEAK.

AND I'VE BEEN SAYING ALSO ALL ALONG THAT IF YOU GET CRITICISM FROM SOMEBODY AND YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE 100% WRONG, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT NOT BE 100% WRONG.

THEY MIGHT BE 5% RIGHT.

AND I'M LOOKING FOR THAT 5%.

>> Cathy: SO YOU'RE PREPARING OBVIOUSLY FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS AND I'M WONDERING, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF CANDIDATE QUALITY?

YOU KNOW, THERE'S CLEARLY THE D.F.L.

HAD AN ISSUE WITH VETTING A CANDIDATE IN A HOUSE RACE.

BUT REPUBLICANS HAVE HAD THAT ISSUE IN THE PAST.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT THAT TO MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT GOOD CONSISTENTS?

WELL, WE ELECT THE RIGHT PEOPLE AS DELEGATES.

WE GOT A VERY ENERGIZED BASE, AND EDUCATE THOSE PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT KINDS OF THINGS WILL LEAD TO SUCCESS.

WE CAN GET A IDEE LOG CANDIDATE WHO BELIEVES THINGS THAT ARE ON THE FAR RIGHT, BUT THE REALITY IN MINNESOTA, IN GENERAL SPEAKING, THOSE CANDIDATES DON'T WIN.

>> Cathy: HOW ABOUT VETTING CANDIDATES?

>> I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT, SURE.

I BELIEVE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS A PARTY OF LOSS.

YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE IN FOLLOWING THE LAW, FOLLOWING THE CONSTITUTION AND GETTING THE CANDIDATES THAT ALSO DO THE SAME THING.

IF YOU CAN'T LIVE YOUR PERSONAL LIFE IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T GET YOU TROUBLE, THEN WHY WOULD YOU WANT THAT CANDIDATE?

>> Eric: ANY INTEREST IN MOVING THE PRIMARY?

WE HAVE AN AUGUST PRIMARY.

I THINK THE TURNOUT WAS 12% THIS LAST YEAR.

WOULD MARCH OR JUNE BE BETTER?

IS THE PARTY TALKING ABOUT ANY POSSIBLE CHANGES?

>> WE'RE CERTAINLY TALKING ABOUT THAT.

THERE'S A PROCESS TO GETTING IT THAT WAY.

THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE WE SHOULD GO ONLY TO A PRIMARY.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I DON'T PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT.

I BELIEVE IN HE CAUCUS SYSTEM.

BUT AGAIN IT'S NOT TOTALLY UP TO ME.

BUT IF WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A PRIMARY, I THINK THERE'S GREAT VALUE IN BRINGING IT FORWARD, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S SO CLOSE TO THE JEN ELECTION, WE SPEND ALL THAT TIME, ALL THAT ENERGY, ALL THOSE RESOURCES TO WIN IN A PRIMARY ONLY TO HAVE A VERY SHORT GENERAL ELECTION SEASON.

SO I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT.

>> Cathy: SO BEFORE YOU, I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOUR COLLEAGUE OF D.F.L.

PARTY CHAIRMAN KEN MARTIN HERE THIS MORNING AND HE'S OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO GO FOR THE NATIONAL PARTY CHAIRMANSHIP AND I'M WONDERING, DOES IT MATTER WHO ACTUALLY CHAIRS THE FL HERE?

WOULD YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM?

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT YOUR ROLE?

>> Z ABOUT THAT TOO MUCH.

I DO WANT TO HAVE SOME RELATIONSHIP WITH MY COMPETITOR.

BEING AN ATHLETE, YOU ALWAYS DO SHAKE HANDS WITH THE GUYS THAT YOU JUST BEAT.

>> Eric: SURE, IT'S MINNESOTA.

>> EXACTLY.

AND SOMETIMES YOU LOSE.

I DEFINITELY ANT TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.

I WILL KEN MARTIN REACHED OUT TO ME.

HE LEFT ME A VAGHARSHAPATI VOIS MAIL AND I CALLED HIM BACK AND LEFT A VOICE MAIL FOR HIM.

>> Eric: WE HOPE TO HAVE YOU BOTH BACK ON TO SPAR A LITTLE