DULUTH, MN — Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Alex Plechash released the following statement today congratulating Tad Jude on earning the Republican endorsement for Minnesota Secretary of State:
“Congratulations to Tad Jude on earning the Republican endorsement for Minnesota Secretary of State. Tad brings exactly what this office needs: integrity, experience, judgment, and common sense.
“The Secretary of State’s office should not be a partisan political operation. It should be an office Minnesotans can trust to administer fair elections, maintain accurate records, protect voter rolls, and restore confidence in the democratic process. Tad Jude understands that.
“Steve Simon has spent years turning the office into a platform for political messaging and partisan priorities. Minnesotans deserve a Secretary of State who is focused on election integrity, not political spin. They deserve someone who will put trust, transparency, and accountability ahead of ideology.
“Tad Jude has spent his life in serious public service. He has served in the Minnesota House, the Minnesota Senate, on the Hennepin County Board, and as a District Court Judge. He knows the law. He respects the Constitution. And he understands that public offices belong to the people, not the political class.
“The contrast in this race could not be clearer. Steve Simon represents the same old political establishment that tells Minnesotans not to question anything, even as confidence in government continues to fall. Tad Jude will bring a judge’s temperament, a legislator’s experience, and a reformer’s commitment to restoring trust.
“Minnesotans are tired of politics being injected into every corner of state government. They want competence. They want fairness. They want confidence that every legal vote counts, voter rolls are accurate, and election laws are enforced equally.
“Tad Jude will fight for secure elections, accurate voter rolls, strong cybersecurity protections, bipartisan oversight, and a Secretary of State’s office that serves all Minnesotans, not one political party.
“The Minnesota Republican Party is proud to stand behind Tad Jude. He is ready to win in November and restore integrity and common sense to the Secretary of State’s office.”
Tad Jude’s public service career began in 1972 when he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives. He later served in the Minnesota Senate, on the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, and as a Minnesota District Court Judge. His campaign for Secretary of State is focused on election integrity, secure voter ID standards, accurate voter rolls, cybersecurity, bipartisan oversight, and protecting Minnesotans’ confidence in free and fair elections.
The endorsement comes at a time when Minnesotans are demanding more accountability from state government. Recent polling found that 50% of Minnesota registered voters believe the state is moving in the wrong direction, while only 33% say it is moving in the right direction. The same survey found that fraud and corruption ranked as the top problem facing the state