Shane Mekeland (born July 28, 1969)[1] is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Mekeland represents District 27A in central Minnesota, which includes the cities of Big Lake, Becker, and surrounding areas of Sherburne County.[2][3]
Shane Mekeland | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 27A district | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Newberger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 28, 1969 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Angela |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Clear Lake, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | |
| Website | Government website Campaign website |
Early life and career
editMekeland was a convenience store manager and owner for 20 years.[4] He is a general contractor.[5]
Minnesota House of Representatives
editMekeland was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and has been reelected every two years since. He first ran after three-term incumbent Jim Newberger announced he would not seek reelection in order to run in the 2018 U.S. Senate election.
Mekeland serves on the Climate and Energy Finance and Policy and Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committees.[2]
Political positions
editMekeland has called for an audit of the 2020 election.[6] On December 10, 2022, he signed on to a letter calling on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to include Minnesota in his unsuccessful lawsuit to invalidate election results in other states, citing "illegal voting practices" in the state.[7]
In 2020, Mekeland wrote a letter to the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners asking it to designate the county a "Second Amendment sanctuary".[8][9]
Mekeland opposed bipartisan legislation to increase worker protection laws for meatpacking workers, saying that existing laws were adequate to deal with injuries and other issues and additional regulations would lead to increased consolidation.[10][11] He criticized cities for charging high fees on building permits to pay for other government services.[12]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shane Mekeland | 10,699 | 59.41 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Karla Scapanski | 6,161 | 34.21 | |
| Independent | Myron Arthur Wilson | 1,137 | 6.31 | |
| Write-in | 11 | 0.06 | ||
| Total votes | 18,008 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shane Mekeland (incumbent) | 17,616 | 70.55 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Ron Thiessen | 5,898 | 23.62 | |
| Veterans Party - Minnesota | Myron Arthur Wilson | 1,425 | 5.71 | |
| Write-in | 32 | 0.13 | ||
| Total votes | 24,971 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shane Mekeland (incumbent) | 14,798 | 70.68 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Sherri Leyda | 6,115 | 29.21 | |
| Write-in | 24 | 0.11 | ||
| Total votes | 20,937 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Personal life
editMekeland resides in Clear Lake, Minnesota, with his partner, Angela, and has one child.[2]
In October 2018, Mekeland was attacked in a restaurant in St. George Township and suffered a concussion. He said he believed the attack was politically motivated, and posted online that "the media and the likes of Maxine Waters, Hillary, and Eric Holder" were responsible for driving the behavior.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Candidate Shane Mekeland".
- ^ a b c "Mekeland, Shane - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ "Rep. Shane Mekeland (27A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "House of Representatives candidates share their views". Morrison County Record. Adams Publishing Group. October 22, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Hertel, Nora G. (November 1, 2018). "Three candidates vie to replace Jim Newberger's seat in District 15B race". St. Cloud Times. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Ferguson, Dana (November 2, 2022). "Nearly 1 in 4 Minnesota GOP legislative candidates questioned 2020 election". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ Schneider, Howard (December 16, 2022). "Readers Write: GOP's Texas lawsuit, the Electoral College". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ Montemayor, Stephen (January 21, 2020). "GOP lawmakers press for first Minn. 'Second Amendment sanctuary'". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ Marohn, Kristi (January 21, 2020). "Legislators ask Sherburne County to be 'sanctuary' from new gun laws". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ Bakst, Brian (February 14, 2023). "Meat-plant workers lean on MN lawmakers for safety help". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ Nesterak, Max (2023-02-15). "Minnesota lawmakers consider new set of safety rules for meatpacking plants". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ Roper, Eric (August 22, 2019). "Builders say cities are overcharging for permits". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "2018 Results for State Representative District 15B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ "2020 Results for State Representative District 15B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 29A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Montemayor, Stephen (October 15, 2018). "Minnesota House candidate says he was attacked at Benton County restaurant". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-04-25.