Entrepreneur Jerry Dettinger is the second candidate to jump into the race to be the next chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, touting his decades of business experience and promising to forgo a salary if he gets the job.
Businessman Jerry Dettinger enters race for state GOP Party chair
The second candidate in the race, he touts his decades of business experience and promises to forgo a salary if he gets the job.
August 28, 2021 at 7:00PM
He announced his campaign for party chair on Friday, just a week after the abrupt resignation of former chair Jennifer Carnahan. Dettinger joins former state Rep. Jim Newberger in the race for chair.
The party's state central committee will meet Oct. 2 to elect the new chair.
Dettinger said in an announcement e-mail that he's spent years donating to Republican campaign efforts, but he was motivated now to get more involved because he realized "the government is not going to let me and my fellow citizens live free."
Currently the CEO of Coon Rapids-based Torque Fitness, which makes workout equipment, Dettinger said he started his manufacturing career in his dad's garage and has built companies worth tens of millions of dollars.
"My skill set is leadership, setting directions and selecting talented people to make it happen," he wrote. "I will put that skill set to work for the MN GOP."
Minnesota Republican leaders are doing some soul-searching following Carnahan's sudden resignation amid a flood of allegations that she created a toxic work environment in party politics.
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