2023 Farmer Labor Party leadership election

  

2023 Farmer Labor Party leadership election

April 4, 2023

Candidate Joe Werner Natalie Hoover Jagdeet Patel Home state Lansing Arrowhead Rochester Percentage 33.4% 27.2% 22.3%   Candidate Albrecht Kurtz Joseph Waller Jr. Home state Minnesota New Hanover Percentage 10.4% 6.7%

Leader before election Atal Bohtar Elected Leader Joe Werner

The 2023 Farmer Labor Party leadership election took place on April 4, 2023 to elect the next leader of the Farmer Labor Party. The leadership election was triggered on February 23, 2023 after then-incumbent leader Atal Bohtar announced his intensions to resign in response to the party's poor performance in the 2022 federal election and his role in the factionalism that led to the formation of the New Labor Party in September 2021. Bohtar was first elected leader of the Farmer Labor Party in 2014 and is the last of the original Progressive Coalition leaders to resign following Courtgate and the 2022 federal election.

In accordance with party law, Bohtar remained acting party leader until the election of a new leader. The deadline for candidate declarations was March 12, 2023 and a total of three debates between major declared candidates are being scheduled by the Farmer Labor Governing Committee to take place between March 12 and April 1. House Delegate from Lansing Joe Werner was among the top frontrunners of the election alongwith Natalie Hoover, the party's deputy leader and MP from Arrowhead. Other notable candidates included MP Jagdeet Patel from Rochester, state party chair Albercht Kurtz from Minnesota, and socialist political activist Joseph Waller Jr. from New Hanover.

Background

Atal Bohtar was elected Leader of the Farmer Labor Party in 2014, taking office on May 6 and replaced outgoing leader Thomas Kraft. Despite Kraft resigning under controversy surrounding ethics violations in the House of Delegates, Bohtar lead the party to make gains in the elections both 2019 and 2020 despite the controversies of the Liberal Democratic Party under Jennifer Granholm, their chief coalition partner, costing them in both elections. In 2022, the Farmer Labor Party suffered a net loss of two seats, the least in terms of both the raw number and percentage of previously held seats in comparison to the Liberal Democrats and Green Party, both of which suffered major electoral losses and were the worst showings for both parties since 2003.

Timeline

• February 23 – Atal Bohtar announces his intentions to resign as party leader.
  • A leadership election is called by the Farmer Labor Governing Committee to be held sometime in March or April 2023
• February 25 – The Farmer Labor Governing Committee announces that the leadership election will be held on April 1 and releases the rules and deadline for candidate declarations
• February 27 – Joe Werner and Natalie Hoover declares their candidacies.
• March 1 – Jagdeep Patel declares his candidacy.
• March 8 – Albercht Kurtz announces his candidacy.
• March 12 – Candidate declaration deadline.
• March 13 – First leadership debate is held in Green Bay, New Hanover.
• March 15 – Second leadership debate is held in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
• April 1 – Third and final leadership debate is held in Duluth, Arrowhead.

Candidates

Candidate	Office(s)/Occupation	Candidacy	Policies
Joe Werner	Member of Parliament for Westcrest (2015-) CEO of Werner Brewery (2003-2015)	Announced: February 27, 2023 Approved: March 12, 2023 Campaign slogan: All in for Joe	Identified as a Social Democrat, Progressive, and "traditional Farmer Laborite" Social: Support progressive policies aimed at a "more inclusive Superior" Protect LGBTQ+ rights in Superior Promote police reform; support restorative justice and oppose the defund the police movement Oppose election integrity proposals; support voting rights legislation Promote tribal involvement in government Support gun control initiatives, including assault weapon bans Economic: Protect the Public Health Program Support regulations on private healthcare and health insurance; oppose total nationalization Protect and expand social welfare programs, such as TBD Mandate $20 federal minimum wage Support transition to "clean energy"; oppose drilling of natural gas on federal lands Support universal basic income Support greater unionization efforts; support greater collaboration with labor unions; support workplace democracy Foreign: Support current membership in the Conference of American States Support current membership in the Northern Treaty Organization Support improving relations with the United Commonwealth Other: Support continued participation in the Progressive Bloc
Natalie Hoover	Deputy Leader of the Farmer Labor Party (2014-) Member of Parliament for Rock Portage (2011-)	Announced: February 27, 2023 Approved: March 12, 2023 Campaign slogan: Defiant	Identified as a Democratic socialist and Progressive Social: Decriminalize marijuana for recreational use Support policies aimed at reducing discrimination; support affirmative action in government Support tribal representation in the federal government Support LGBTQ+ rights; support a federal equality bill Support education reform; oppose the 1866 Initiative Support gun control inititives, including bans on assault weapons and handguns Oppose election integrity legislation; support expansion of voter rights Support police reform Economic: Support the Public Health Program; support nationalization of healthcare in Superior Support the expansion of welfare state Support higher taxes for wealthy Superians Support a $25 federal minimum wage Support universal basic income Support clean energy; oppose expansion of natural gas drilling on federal land Support greater unionization efforts; support greater collaboration with labor unions; support workplace democracy Foreign: Support current membership in the Conference of American States Support current membership in the Northern Treaty Organization Support improving relations with the United Commonwealth Other: Support continued participation in the Progressive Bloc
Jagdeep Patel	Member of Parliament for Central Rochester (2019-) Immigrant rights lawyer	Announced: March 1, 2023 Approved: March 12, 2023 Campaign slogan: Future through Patel	Identified as a Social democrat and Progressive Social: Support "community-based democracy" Support immigration reform; oppose restrictive immigration laws Support police reform; support restorative justice Support LGBTQ+ rights; support a federal equality bill Support expansion of red-flag laws; oppose assault weapon ban Economic: Support the Public Health System and private alternatives Support expansion of the welfare state Support $20 federal minimum wage Support universal basic income Support gradual transition to clean energy Support greater unionization efforts; support greater collaboration with labor unions; support workplace democracy Foreign: Oppose current membership in the Conference of American States on the grounds of infringement of sovereignty Support current membership in the Northern Treaty Organization Oppose improving relations with the United Commonwealth Other: Support continued participation in the Progressive Bloc
Albercht Kurtz	Chairperson of the Minnesota Farmer Labor Party (2021-) Member of Parliament for Schwartz (2006-2021)	Announced: March 8, 2023 Approved: March 12, 2023 Campaign slogan: Progressive Dreams	Identified as a Social democrat and Progressive Social: Support LGBTQ+ rights; support a federal equality bill Support education reform; oppose the 1866 Initiative Decriminalize marijuana for recreational use Support gun control initiatives; support assault weapons ban Economic: Support the Public Health System; support nationalization of healthcare in Superior Support expansion of the welfare state Support $25 federal minimum wage Support universal basic income Oppose "immediate" transition to clean energy; support gradual transition and "re-education initiatives" to encourage transition from natural gas work to clean energy work Support greater unionization efforts; support greater collaboration with labor unions; support workplace democracy Foreign: Support current membership in the Conference of American States Oppose current membership in the Northern Treaty Organization on the grounds of imperialism Support improving relations with the United Commonwealth Other: Oppose continued participation in the Progressive Bloc
Joseph Waller Jr.	Socialist political activist and community organizer (1980-)	Announced: March 9, 2023 Approved: March 12, 2023 Campaign slogan: Restore the Workers' Party	Identified as a Socialist Social: Support LGBTQ+ rights; support a federal equality bill Support education reform; oppose the 1866 Initiative Decriminalize marijuana for recreational use Oppose gun control initiatives Empower federal agencies to combat "systematic racism" Support tribal involvement in the federal government Support police reform; support defunding the police Economic: Support the nationalization of the healthcare and transportation industries Oppose the "unregulated" free market Support expansion of the welfare state Support wealth re-distribution Support universal basic income Support universal higher education Support greater unionization efforts; support greater collaboration with labor unions; support workplace democracy Oppose "immediate" transition to clean energy Foreign: Oppose current membership in the Conference of American States Oppose current membership in the Northern Treaty Organization on the grounds of imperialism Support improving relations with the United Commonwealth Other: Oppose continued participation in the Progressive Bloc Oppose the Monarchy of Superior; support the establishment of a Superian republic

Declined to run

• Thomas Kraft, Leader of the Farmer Labor Party (2000–2014), MP for Bradley (1993–2015) (endorsed Hoover)
• Atal Bohter, Leader of the Farmer Labor Party (2014–present), MP for Burnsville-Eagans (2011–present), Secretary of State (2015–2022) (outgoing leader)
• Darcy Wilde, MP for Burlington and Mount Pleasant (2011–present) (endorsed Werner)
• Alexander Kennedy, Chair of the New Hamburg Farmer-Labor Party (2022–present), MP for South Hamburg (2011–2022), Secretary of the Treasury (2015–2022) (endorsed Werner)
• Julianna Foster, MP for Lynd-Upon-Marshall (2007–present), Lady Surgeon General (2019–2022) (endorsed Hoover)
• Al Thompson, MP for Granite Falls (1999–present), Chair of the Committee on Agriculture (2015–2022) (endorsed Hoover)