GOP gubernatorial hopefuls take stage, jabs at current administration

SW MN FORUM — GOP gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson (right), who is making his second run at the governor’s seat, responds to a question during Monday’s Southwest Minnesota Forum. To his right is fellow Republican candidate Dave Osmek.

By Per Peterson

Four of 11 Republicans with their eyes on filling the open governor’s seat in 2018, found their way to Marshall and Southwest Minnesota State University on Monday night for the Southwest Minnesota Forum. And they didn’t pull any punches when talking about Minnesota’s future and decisions and legislation supported by current Gov. Mark Dayton.
Candidates taking part in the forum were: Edina resident and former House representative and one-time chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota Keith Downey; former House representative and current Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson of Plymouth; two-term state senator and project manager for United Health Group Dave Osmek of Mound; and school teacher Phillip Parrish of Kenyon.
Monday’s forum was set up in typical question-and-answer format, with queries coming from a two-person media panel, as well as from some of the more than two dozen people in attendance.

For more on this article, see this week’s Headlight-Herald.