Transcript
Speaker 1
Hey, welcome back to AM 20 to the Patriot. Northern Alliance Radio Network with me. Brad
Carlson thanks always for tuning in. 651-289-4488, thats the number to call. You can also
weigh in via.Twitter.. Thats hashtag NARN show for comments or questions. And don't forget the live stream of our broadcast. It is up and running at our Northern Alliance Radio Network Facebook page. Where you can give us a like or a follow if you havent done so already. And as always, we thank you for tuning in. The guest of Palooza continues as we may
have another Minnesota House candidate joining us at Bob Sullentrop. He is running in
Minnesota House District 62B, which is in South Minneapolis. We're going to find out more
about Bobs campaign. How its faring down there and what kind of platform he has and his
reasons for running. Bob, Good to have you on the broadcast today Sir, how are you? Thank
you.
Speaker 2
I did come here about in 27/20/2017 when I was running for for a Minneapolis Park board at
large position and I didnt get elected to that, of course. But I I actually I ran a couple more times
for the City Council in Minneapolis and I didnt get elected either time to those either.
Speaker 1
OK. Thats a tough nut to crack, Bob. Selling through. Yes, you. But God bless you for stepping
up.
Speaker 2
I I realize that. But it its important. Its important that we we run in those in those. Races, right?
Just so we have, you know, our foot in the door and eventually we'll get somebody elected.
Speaker 1
Right. Absolutely. So as now I I mentioned South Minneapolis, South Minneapolis, thats kind of
a general vague description. What specifically within South Minneapolis, if you can kind of
outline your district? A little before us, Bob.
Speaker 2
Its well, 1 precinct is on the West side of 35 W and all the rest of them are on the on the east
side and it goes from. From 47th St. to I-94 and from Cedar over to 35W.
Speaker 1
South of 94, right. OK. OK. W so now as youre getting out there and and talking to voters and
and whatnot, I, I again, Minneapolis, not exactly a Republican friendly territory as im sure youre
finding out. But are you able to at least engage and get into discussions with some voters who
are maybe open to hearing a different perspective?
Speaker 2
Yes. So I haven’t talked to a whole lot of voters I've I've been doing mostly literature drops, you know. And I I just put the literature on people's doors. But I I occasionally get into a discussion with some. Some of them, you know, some people come to their door and want to talk to me.
Speaker 1
Hows that fair been fairing for you?
Speaker 2 Actually, when they have come out and talk to me, Ive always had a positive
discussion and one guy said he was actually a Democrat.
Speaker 1
Oh good.
Speaker 2
Then he said he was a radical Democrat and he said he was going to vote for me because I
had put my literature on his door the day before and he read through it and he said he said
what I like about you is youre a fiscal conservative.
Speaker 1
OK. Really.
Speaker 2
A conservative and he said. And youre not into politics as such. You know, youre just trying to
save the, you know, save the taxpayers money.
Speaker 1
So what I guess whats your primary motivation for running for this particular seat, Bob?
Speaker 2
Well, I can if I can start with the material I brought with me.
Speaker 1
Of course feel free please do, yes.
Speaker 2
It starts out with a letter from Mark Johnson, whos the Senate Minority Leader in of the
Minnesota Senate.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 2
And its on the Minnesota 2024 legislative session, and itswas a letter in the Star Tribune on
May 22nd, 2024. I'm not going to read the whole thi ng, but Im going to read the most important
parts of it? Sure. “With two hours to go, Democrats jammed their agenda into a 1400 page
monster tax bill, including taxes, abortion, transportation, agriculture, energy trigger bans, and
higher education. During the final weekend of the session, the Senate passed 17 bills several
with bipartisan support. They had robust debate, and Republicans worked to negotiate with
democratic leaders on the final pieces of legislation. Republicans were ready to do the work of
the people, but crucial time was lost when a Democrat refused to attend session for more than
11 hours over his own disagreements. That time could have produced bipartisan agreements
and respectful debate, but instead raw partisanship won out. One party, Democratic control
spent a nearly 19 billion surplus and raised taxes on every Minnesotan, with another 10 billion,
gave serious and violent criminals a “get out of jail free” card and put schools into deficits with
expensive and divisive mandates.”
Speaker 1
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2
One party control pushed extreme and divisive social politics into law. Minnesota now has the
most extreme abortion laws in the country, with no common sense limitations, such as the
viability of the baby, Despite prior bipartisan support Democrats defunded women&s crisis
pregnancy programs strictly because those programs support choosing life.
Speaker 1
So much for choice. I thought these people were pro-choice. Bob Sullentrop. What's going on here?
Speaker 2
Thats not who Minnesotans are, and that's not what they sent us legislature legislators here to
do.
Over the last month, weve seen Democrats so aggressive in their agenda that they shut down
debate, ignored efforts to compromise and hid their agenda in the shadows and backrooms of
the state capital, where there isnt a glimmer of hope of working with Republicans even when it
makes things much easier.
Speaker 1
Yeah. So that. and again I get that the district youre representing is a difficult one to crack. But
I would have to imagine you know you talk about the radical abortion law that the Democrats
passed in addition and you already alluded to a voter who is a self-described radical Democrat
concerned about his taxes and that amazing you could be as a radical voter as you want, but
when someone start messing with your pocketbook it kind of wakes you up a little bit. Yeah. So I
would imagine there you're probably having some like minded conversations with people within that district on these key issues.
Speaker 2
Yeah I am.
Its been the case that ever since I started doing lit drops when I was running for City Council
last year, that there have been lock boxes on at least one or two houses in each block, you
know, on the doors and also for sale signs on maybe one or two homes in each block
Speaker1
Mm-hmm. OK.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 2
And sometimes lock boxes are on the ones that have for sale signs too, right? But people are
moving out, you know, and and not wholesale. If they live in a fairly good neighborhood, a lot of
them stay, there. But in, you know, in the poorer neighborhoods its pretty common to see the for
sale signs and people are leaving.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 1
So what you, personally, Bob, whats your background? How long have you been
involved in politics? I mean, have you been involved at the grassroots level, volunteering on
campaigns? And how did that lead to you running for office?
Speaker 2 Well, Ive been involved in politics since 2007. I went to my precinct caucus and I and
I became a delegate. And shortly after that, I got elected to be the Treasurer.
Speaker 1
OK.
Speaker 2
And then I in 2010, they redistricted it. I got put into a different district. I stayed in my same
house, but I got put into a different district. But anyway, shortly after I was put into that district, I became the treasurer of that district. And the reason for that is nobody wants to be the
treasurer.
Speaker
Hmm.
Speaker 2
So anyway I was the treasurer of that organization until 2019 and thenI got elected to be the
Chair of SD 62 Republicans.
Speaker 1
OK.
Speaker 2
So I've been been chair since 2019 to the present.
Speaker 1
So yeah, what are some of the things they, I mean you, talk about at the lit drops and whatnot. I
mean, what are some of the other areas that you're actively engaging voters? Because
obviously as you well know, being a candidate piling up the votes is the key. So I guess what
are you doing to draw folks into your game?
Speaker 2
Well, Im also doing texting. I hired a texting firm by, oh, I maybe I should back off. I raised over
$2000 and I qualified for State matching funds. OK, so I have a fair amount of money. Im not
rich of course. But I’ve got, you know, enough to do some things that may help get me elected.
Speaker
Alright.
Speaker 2
What Ive been doing mostly is texting and that’s not cheap, but, but its its well worth the
money, I think.
Speaker 1
Yeah, I mean it, its a different era now. I mean, I I remember when people would get calls on
their phones. I mean, heck, just two, two decades ago, maybe that was the way and now texting
is so much the thing now because people arent answering their phones much if they dont
recognize the number. With a text message you can get outreach. What's kind of been the?
Have you gotten any feedback from the voters on that particular program, how they feel about
that good or?
Speaker 2
Bad, I I would say that most of it's been bad. But I would say probably that's because most of
the people that either dont care or are in favor of what Im saying… Speaker 1 OK ….
Speaker 2 probably dont respond at all. But, but most of the people that do respond, its been
negative. But I only got about 100 or so texts like that and we sent out over 13,000 total texts.
OK. And then I sent out another text. I just did another one for 13,000 I guess they can identify
all the people in my House district that have cell phones and that’s around 13,000 people.
Speaker 1
OK, brave new world. Bob Sullentrop that is for sure. Well, again, we were joined in studio by
Bob Sullentrop. He the Republican candidate in Minnesota, House District 62 B covering a
significant portion of South Minneapolis of I think most of the district. Did you say it is east of 35
W and South of I-94? Is that correct? Thats correct. OK. And well be back with another
segment, one final segment on the broadcast with Bob, if you like to weigh in with a comment or
question, 651-289-4488. You can also check us out on Twitter #narn and show or check out the
live stream of the broadcast up and running at our Northern Alliance Radio Network Facebook
page. Brad Carlson, back with one final segment this hour.
Speaker
You think?
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