Thousands of Republican Party loyalists will be holed up at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester over the next few days, debating who DFL Gov. Tim Walz should face in November.

Delegates to the GOP state convention will try to narrow a crowded field of governors to one person and endorse candidates for other statewide positions, including attorney general and secretary. of state. The Democrats currently hold all of those positions, making their convention the following weekend – also in Rochester – a quieter affair, where an elected slate seeks re-election without any challengers from within the DFL.

Midterm elections tend to favor the party that doesn’t control the White House, and rising inflation and crime present additional challenges for Democrats. Republicans are hoping their candidates emerge from the weekend ready to win statewide races, something they haven’t been able to do since former Governor Tim Pawlenty was elected in 2006.

But the road to reaching GOP endorsements on Friday and Saturday could be bumpy, and some candidates may choose to continue through the August primary even if they aren’t the delegates’ first choice.

Here are some key things to know ahead of the Republican and DFL state conventions.

Who is looking for endorsements?

At both conventions, candidates for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor hope to win over delegates. Democrats also plan to endorse a lieutenant governor, while not expected at the GOP convention where some gubernatorial candidates have yet to choose their running mates.

Who supports the candidates?

More than 2,200 delegates will fight for their favorite candidates at the Republican convention, and thousands of alternate delegates are ready to step in if needed. Democrats have about 1,300 delegates.

Party members selected these delegates during the local caucus and convention process earlier this year. They tend to be very politically engaged Minnesotans who are willing to give up their weekends and pay to attend conventions.

How does the approval process work?

Delegates vote on who they support for office, and a candidate must get 60% of the vote to win their party’s approval. If no one reaches that level on the first ballot, the delegates go on to a second ballot and so on. Candidates who do not reach certain thresholds are eliminated.

There has been a lot of consternation recently within the GOP about the advisability of using electronic voting. Party chairman David Hann pointed out that the electronic system they plan to use is secure and accurate, but some delegates and candidates are pushing for paper ballots at the convention, as well as national and national elections. national. Paper ballots would take much longer to count, which could create challenges as Republicans have a tight deadline to get their approvals.

Could delegates disagree?

Yes. Some GOP activists have said that if delegates choose to use paper ballots and there is a long approval battle, they may have to work late Friday night and start early the next morning to try to seek approval from the governor on Saturday.

Why are these conventions important?

The party’s stamp of approval leads to more financial and personnel support, and it can boost a candidate’s name recognition.

“With that comes access to party resources,” Minnesota GOP Executive Director Mike Lonergan said, adding, “It’s an important way to empower activists, who are the backbone of our campaign team. … a voice.”

The delegates’ decision is particularly important for GOP hopefuls. In primary races, Minnesota Republicans have historically stuck with their party’s pick rather than someone who lacks the endorsement. Endorsed candidate Jeff Johnson won the Republican primary in 2018 over former Governor Tim Pawlenty, who skipped the party process. The last time an unapproved candidate won the GOP primary was incumbent Governor Arne Carlson in 1994.

Democrats have had better success winning a primary race without the endorsement, including Walz, who beat endorsed candidate Erin Murphy four years ago.

Will applicants respect the endorsement?

It remains to be seen whether some Republican candidates will choose to continue running regardless of their party’s decision. Many GOP gubernatorial candidates said they would respect the endorsement, but some softened their comments on the subject as the convention approached.

In the battle for attorney general, five GOP candidates hope to take on Democratic attorney general Keith Ellison this fall. However, Republican Dennis Smith is not seeking his party’s endorsement in this race and plans to run in the August primary. “It has become clear that the endorsement convention is an insider’s game,” Smith said in a statement, adding that he also wanted to reach out to independents and Democrats looking for new direction.

What else happens at political conventions?

Along with candidate endorsements, parties are considering resolutions that could be part of the GOP or DFL platform. They can also make changes to their party’s constitution and have guest speakers.

Are these the only endorsement agreements?

Minnesota has two other major political parties, the Legal Marijuana Now Party and the Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party, as well as several minor political parties. Some of these parties hold events to endorse people or ask the party’s executive board to select candidates.