David Hann, a longtime Eden Prairie resident and former state senator, will step down as Minnesota Republican Party chair on Dec. 31 after being defeated in a reelection vote Saturday by Wayzata City Council Member Alex Plechash.
Hann’s three-year tenure brought significant changes to the party, which he said was in disarray when he took over in 2021.
“When I was elected in a special election in October 2021, the party was deep in debt, members were demoralized, and donors were frustrated by the dysfunction,” Hann said in a statement Sunday.
He cited eliminating the GOP’s longstanding debt and raising $8.5 million as key accomplishments, adding, “By any objective measure, we made great progress these last three years.”
Hann, 72, brought decades of political experience to the role. He represented Eden Prairie and Minnetonka in the Minnesota Senate as a Republican from 2003 to 2017, serving as minority leader from 2013 to 2017. He previously served on the Eden Prairie School Board from 1994 to 2002.
Plechash, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and former executive at Exxon and Oracle, has been active in Minnesota politics since 2004. He has served as a precinct chairman, congressional district vice chair, and RNC national committeeman. He has been a member of the Wayzata City Council since 2017.
Hann expressed disappointment at the outcome of the Dec. 14 vote but said he plans to stay involved in the “Republican orbit” while spending more time with family.
“I owe a debt of gratitude to the friends, volunteers, and donors who helped make my tenure so successful,” Hann said.
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