Togerson Makes Short Run for Congress: #2 Story of the Year

A statement on Republican Fifth Congressional District candidate Lynne Torgerson website in April led to more than 200 comment, 2,300 poll votes and her withdrawal from the race.

Torgerson and 'Ron Paul Libertarians': #2 Top Story Of The Year

A statement on Republican Fifth Congressional District candidate Lynne Torgerson website in April led to more than 200 comment, 2,300 poll votes and her withdrawal from the race.

In September 2011, Lynne Torgerson officially announced she would be running for the Fifth Congressional District seat held by Rep. Keith Ellison. By mid-April, she was no longer in the race. At the GOP Convention, delegates endorsed Chris Fields. That decision didn't sit too well with Torgerson, who wrote a long post on her website the Monday after the convention. She said in part:  There was a stage at the front of the room. Approximately 6 people were seated on the stage. Every person seated was a Ron Paul Libertarian. The Convention was overrun by Ron Paul Libertarians. More than 2/3 of the delegates were Ron Paul Libertarians. When I mentioned that we were at a Republican Convention, they laughed out loud. ... The response from the …

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After Decrying 'Ron Paul Libertarians' in GOP, Lynne Torgerson Ends Campaign for Congress

Her new Christians United group 'may make some peoples' heads explode'

A day after slamming Republican delegates in Minnesota's Fifth District as "Ron Paul Libertarians," GOP candidate Lynne Torgerson said she is leaving the race for the seat in Congress occupied by three-term DFL incumbent Keith Ellison. "No, I am not going to continue running in this election cycle," Torgerson wrote in an email to Fridley Patch Tuesday. "The Party is free to fully support Chris Fields." Fields is the rival Republican candidate who won the backing of Fifth District party delegates on the first ballot at their convention Saturday. Not Done Yet "By the way, I am not done yet . . . just going to have some fun for awhile," Torgerson said Tuesday. She is forming a new organization: I recently founded Christian[s] United in …

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Torgerson: GOP Convention 'Overrun by Ron Paul Libertarians'

Ellison rival posts statement after Republicans endorse Fields.

Lynne Torgerson, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, posted the statement below at her campaign website Monday. (On Saturday, party delegates endorsed Chris Fields to challenge incumbent DFLer Keith Ellison.) On Saturday, April 14, 2012, I attended the Republican 5th Congressional District Endorsing Convention. There was a stage at the front of the room. Approximately 6 people were seated on the stage. Every person seated was a Ron Paul Libertarian. The Convention was overrun by Ron Paul Libertarians. More than 2/3 of the delegates were Ron Paul Libertarians. When I mentioned that we were at a Republican Convention, they laughed out loud. They began the Convention. There was no opening prayer. Not even a mention of it. There was also …

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The Fifth District Report

Fifth District Report: Ellison Challengers Mix It Up

With warm weather, the congressional campaign heated up.

What issues grab you in the Fifth District Congressional contest?

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The Fifth District Report

Ellison Speaks Out Against Voter ID Proposal

Congressman introduced a resolution on the night of Minnesota's caucuses.

Over the last week, Rep. Keith Ellison has spoken out against the Minnesota Voter ID constitutional amendment. According to the Star Tribune, Ellison introduced a resolution against the amendment Tuesday, the night of the Minnesota caucuses. "Everybody does not have an ID. But people who don't have them are as fully American as anyone," he said. Ellison went on to say that the amendment won't really solve anything, according to an article in MinnPost. “At the end of the day, dishonest people who are intent on being dishonest are going to be dishonest." On Friday, Ellison opponent Lynne Torgerson (R) stated on Facebook her objection to the Obama Administration's requirement that religious hospitals and schools offer full contraception …

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The Fifth District Report

Torgerson, Ellison Find Common Ground Against SOPA

Legislation designed to curtail Internet piracy has met steep public opposition.

While U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, of Minnesota's Fifth District, and opponent Lynne Torgerson don't seem to share many political opinions and ideas, they oppose recent legislative efforts to stop Internet piracy. Ellison shut down his campaign website Wednesday to show his opposition tothe U.S. House's Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill and the Senate companion bill, Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). Ellison wrote that the legislation would "devastate free speech, Internet innovation and job creation. I strongly oppose these bills and believe there are better ways to fight piracy without infringing upon Americans' right to free speech." The next day, Torgerson tweeted, simply: "Stop SOPA." The bills are designed to make it harder for …

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The Fifth District Report

Ellison: 16-Year-Olds Should Have Right to Vote

The congressman's challengers also joined in the debate.

Rep. Keith Ellison last week suggested that 16-year-olds should have the right to vote. “Why shouldn’t 16-year-old vote?” Ellison tweeted on Jan. 11. “They can drive. Some have jobs. Let’s empower our youth.” Ellison's comments set off a lively, multi-day debate on Twitter, with several people criticizing the congressman by asking questions such as “Why not let them drink beer?” and suggesting 16-year-olds weren't informed enough to vote. One tweeter said he worried the teens would base their votes on their parents’ opinions and not their own. “Oh come on! 16-year-olds are pretty sharp,” Ellison wrote in response. “When is last time you talked to teens? They have their own views on things." He also wrote, "I kicked it w(ith) bunch of kids …

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The Fifth District Report

Ellison Defends Spending Votes

The 5th District representative criticized 'wasteful' Pentagon spending and continued war funding.

Federal spending 5th District Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) defended his vote against the Omnibus Appropriations Bill—a 1,200-page, nearly $1 trillion measure whose failure would have threatened to shut down the government. Ellison criticized the bill for cutting heating assistance and jobs training programs while increasing what he called “wasteful” Pentagon spending and continuing to fund the war in Afghanistan, which he said has gone on too long. “This bill continues down the Republican Congress’s wrongheaded path for our country,” he was quoted in a news release. “By enshrining the Budget Control Act of this summer, the latest appropriations package maintains handouts to special interests at the expense of the middle class.” Meanwhile, …

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Amy Paddock

8:42 am on Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Not all money that goes to the US Military or Pentagon is money for our troops. Read the bills Lynn. It takes patience. Go through the bills for our spending and NDAA. It doesn't all go to our troops. If you think people are not already taking less money, then you haven't figure it the problems yet. Economy 101 is a good place to start. Most of learned Economics in High School, but went through …   more ›

Three GOP Candidates for 5th District Differ on the Details

Torgerson, Katch and Fields disagree on a balanced budget amendment and the Patriot Act, among other things.

In front of an audience of about 30 people Monday night at the Hennepin County Library in Crystal, the three candidates seeking the Republican Party’s endorsement to run against Rep. Keith Ellison in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, debated a wide range of issues. While all three—Lynne Torgerson, Michael Katch and Chris Fields—agreed on most issues, there were a few where they differed. All favor a balanced federal budget but none was particularly enthusiastic about a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. “An amendment calling for a balanced budget would be too restrictive,” said Katch. “There are times where the federal government needs to borrow money as has been the case in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.” …

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