State Republicans pick Alex Plechash as party chair

Wayzata City Council Member Alex Plechash has been elected chair of the Minnesota Republican Party, edging out incumbent David Hann for the post.

Plechash’s selection by the state central committee on Saturday likely marks the end of Hann’s tenure as GOP chair. First elected in 2021, he previously told the Minnesota Star Tribune this run for the position would probably be his last.

Plechash, a former RNC national committeeman, said in an interview Sunday that he hopes to put together a team that’s “laser focused” on winning in 2026 when Minnesotans will elect a new governor. He said he wants to bring all organizations affiliated with the Republican Party “into the tent.”

Under Hann’s leadership, Republicans this year broke Democrats’ trifecta at the State Capitol. He also oversaw the party’s financial recovery from a six-figure debt, replenishing its coffers with a blitz of donations after then-presidential candidate Donald Trump headlined the GOP’s annual fundraising dinner.

Hann said in a statement Sunday that he’s proud of what the party accomplished during his tenure.

“As I leave office on December 31, the Republican Party of Minnesota will be walking into a new calendar year on January 1 in a cash positive position for the first time in over a decade without any debt,” Hann said. “I cannot emphasize enough what it took to bring us to that place and what an honor it was to lead the charge in healing our Party’s finances.”

Plechash said fundraising is a top priority and he intends to reach out to donors who recently stopped contributing to the party, along with those who haven’t given to the GOP but share its values.

“In both cases, I would need to present a story that shows that we will be successful because people with that kind of money essentially are investors, and they want to see a return on their investment,” he said.

He declined to comment on the specifics of the fundraising pitch.

The DFL decried Plechash’s victory in a statement Saturday night.

“The Minnesota GOP has been completely captured by the most extreme, fringe activists in Minnesota politics,” DFL Chair Ken Martin wrote, blaming Hann’s loss on “far-right activists.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Chair Donna Bergstrom was re-elected over challenger Kip Christianson.

Christianson, who was backed by Hann, most recently served as Minnesota’s deputy state director for Trump’s presidential campaign.

That had frustrated some Republicans ahead of the vote. Hann previously said supporting Christianson would elevate a younger generation of Republicans to leadership roles — something he said the party should support.

Bergstrom, a former candidate for lieutenant governor, said in an interview Sunday that she believes Hann’s decision to back her opponent contributed to his loss.

“When it gave the impression that I was not being respected, and that there was disloyalty ... I believe that really turned a lot of people away,” Bergstrom said.

She said issues related to staffing and money also may have imperiled Hann’s re-election.

Bergstrom, who said her re-election showed party activists were “looking for stability,” said she’s focused on strengthening the party’s ground game ahead of 2026.

She said she looks forward to working with Plechash, whom she worked with when he served as RNC national committeeman. She added she hopes to attract people to the GOP who feel “disenfranchised” by Democrats, including young men and Latino, Black and American Indian voters.

“I think, as we’ve seen with this last election, people are ... finding that the Republicans are really the ones that are standing up for us,” she said.

Other contenders for party chair were Army veteran Bret Bussman and former gubernatorial candidate Mike Murphy.

Plechash is a former Marine who has worked as a general manager for Exxon, a vice president for investment banking companies and an executive recruiter for a search firm, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He’s been involved in Minnesota politics since 2004, according to his campaign website, and represented the state at the Republican National Convention in 2008 and 2016.

Plechash also founded a group for Republican veterans in Minnesota and has served on the Wayzata City Council since 2017.

Sydney Kashiwagi contributed to this report.