RAMSEY COUNTY CONVENTION

Gene Nichols, reNEW Minnesota

Grace Kelly

Matt Bostrom

Paul Thissen Signs

Ramsey County Convention

SD53 at Ramsey County Convention

Emily

Team Pinto (after the Convention, at Grumpy's)

Team Pinto, Consolation Dinner for a Job Well Done

After the CD4 endorsements concluded yesterday, the Ramsey County endorsements took place. Most, although not all, of Ramsey County is in CD4.

The winners of the Ramsey County endorsements were John Choi for Ramsey County Attorney and Matt Bostrom for Ramsey County Sheriff. Kudos to those who didn't win for a job well done.

Here's what happened during the endorsement process:

Laura Goodman, candidate for Ramsey County Sheriff, stated that she will abide by the endorsement. She started with a grassroots campaign. She attended Meet and Greets to build relationships. She put people together in committees to plan and prepare. She invited delegates to go with her offroad.

Matt Bostrom, another candidate for Ramsey County Sheriff, also stated that he will abide by the endorsement. He told the CD4 delegates that he understands how Fletcher campaigns and will meet him there, then campaign against him. Bostrom's campaign is highly organized and diverse. He can beat Fletcher on election day. (Matt Bostrom won the endorsement.)

Rebecca Otto then spoke. She's our State Auditor. She's been doing an excellent job. Her office makes wise investments to reduce energy costs. We can go back wards to hundereds of millions of dollars in errors or we can go forward with the good record that Rebecca Otto has.

David Schultz is an excellent speaker. He started The Innocent Project. He put his own safety on the line to rebuild a legal system in Kosovo. He will not abide by the endorsement. He has experience, leadership, and commitment to justice. He will be a working county attorney.

John Choi was introduced by Chris Coleman, who is an excellent speaker. Councilman Carter spoke up for Choi as well. I was disappointed that Dave Pinto didn't win.

Dave Pinto gave the most heartfelf speech. He has a vision which includes justice. Dave would have made an excellent Ramsey County Attorney. He had the vision for the position and he had the heart for it.

The candidates for Ramsey County Attorney were given a set of questions.

What will you do to win?

Dave Pinto - Grassroots support; excellent record as a domestic violence prosecutor; credibility; good record of preventing crime from happening in the first place.

David Schultz - Practices law across the entire spectrum in Ramsey County; has argued cases to juries for 25 years; makes decisions based on evidence and facts; listens and can tell when people are speaking from their hearts.

John Choi - He said that he will be the winner. He has more cash on hand than all three candidates combined. (This is an impossibility, since he is one of the three candidates. Did no one else catch this error?)

How will you prioritize your cases to meet justice in a depressed economy?

David Schultz - Evidence-based practices; child protection; institute practices that lower child abuse.

John Choi - Work with prosecutors in the criminal justice system.

Dave Pinto - Focus on violent and repeat offenders. Also focus on public safety.

Surprise Question for John Choi - A new group of immigrants is violating assembly laws but not maliciously. What to do?

John Choi - Charging anyone with unlawful assembly is hard to prove. We are not the INS.

Surprise Question for Dave Pinto - Elderly nuns have been occupying an abandoned warehouse on the riverfront for ten years. What to do?

Dave Pinto - Understand. Prosecute only if absolutely necessary.

Surprise Question for David Schultz - A dog frequently does his business in a service area. What to do about it?

David Schultz - Find a practical solution to a real world problem. Post signs so people don't step there. Very humorous response.

In the ballot for Ramsey County Attorney, John Choi received 185 of the 285 ballots cast. He is the winner.

In the ballot for Ramsey County Sheriff, Matt Bostrom was the winner.

This concluded the Ramsey County endorsement process. The day was adjourned.

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