THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA




Adopted April 27, 2002

Amended April 21, 2007

Amended May 2, 2009


THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Article I - Name and Purpose

Section 1 Name

Section 2 Purpose

Article II - Central Committee

Section 1 Membership

Section 2 Meetings, Powers and Quorum

Article III - Executive Committee

Section 1 Membership

Section 2 Meetings, Powers and Quorum

Article IV - District Officers

Section 1 Officers

Section 2 Duties

Section 3 Vacancies

Section 4 Elections

Section 5 Removal of Officer

Article V - Delegates to the State Central Committee

Section 1 BPOD and At-Large District Delegates and Alternate

Section 2 Filling the Delegation

Article VI – Constitution

Section 1 Constitution Committee

Section 2 Amendments

Section 3 Effective Date



Article I - Name and Purpose


Section 1 Name.


The name of this organization is the First Congressional District (hereinafter referred to as the "First District") Republican Party of Minnesota, (hereinafter referred to as the "RPM")


Section 2 Purpose. The District's purpose shall be the following:


A. To manage the affairs of the Republican Party within the First District according to law, the Constitution of the Republican Party of Minnesota, and this constitution.


B. To secure the election of a Republican Congressman, and assisting Candidate Search Committees in recruiting candidates for public office within the First District.


C. To coordinate and assist campaigns for the election of Republican candidates for public office in the upcoming election as have been endorsed by any Republican Endorsing Conventions within the First District, or otherwise designated as the endorsed Republican candidate.


D. To cooperate with and coordinate the activities of the Basic Political Organizational Unit (hereinafter referred to as "BPOU") committees within the First District in their effort to expand the membership of the Republican Party, and


E. To serve as maintaining liaison between the BPOUs and the RPM.


Article II - Central Committee


Section 1 Membership.


A. Members of the First District Central Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Central Committee"), shall live within the First District.


B. The Central Committee shall be comprised of two (2) delegates, or their respective alternates, from each First District BPOU, as designated by the BPOU Executive Committee; however, in the event a BPOU is partially located within the First District (hereinafter referred to as a "Split BPOU"), and the percentage of votes cast for the Republican Gubernatorial or Presidential candidate in the First District portion of the Split BPOU is 67% or more, that Split BPOU shall have two (2) delegates, or their respective alternates, to the Central Committee. In the event that the percentage of votes cast for the Republican Gubernatorial or Presidential candidate in the First District portion of the Split BPOU is less than 67%, that Split BPOU shall have one (1) delegate, or respective alternate, to the Firs~ District Central Committee. Any delegate or alternate nom a Split BPOU must live in the First District portion of the BPOU.


C. Members of the Central Committee shall also include the members of the First District Executive Committee and the National Committeeman and Committeewoman (if residents of the First District).


D. Members of the Central Committee shall also include a single designated representative from any RPM designated affiliate organization or their chapters functioning within the district, if the district Executive Committee determines the affiliate organization qualifies for representation. Qualification is based upon receipt by the Executive Committee of an annual report showing that members are involved in meetings, campaigns, fund-raising, and conventions and that the active membership exceeds 10 persons.


Section 2 Meetings, Powers and Quorum.


A. The Central Committee shall meet at least once per quarter each calendar year. These meetings shall be called by the Chair of the District, or by any five (5) members of the Executive Committee, or by any ten (10) members of the Central Committee, with no less than ten (10) days advance notice, mailed either through the United States Postal Service or e-mail (hereinafter referred to as "Mailed") to all members of the Central Committee. NOTE: The United States Postal Service must be used to deliver notifications to those members who do not have, or choose not to use e-mail. The Central Committee shall meet immediately following the adjournment of the odd-year First District Convention.


B. The Central Committee shall manage the affairs of the First District, create a plan to meet the established purposes of this organization, prepare an annual operational budget and decide how to disperse funds or resources to Republican candidates. The Central Committee shall also assist BPOUs in organizing precincts, caucuses, conventions, fairs, events, and candidate recruiting and effective campaigns.


C. A quorum of the Central Committee is required to conduct business. A quorum is defined as at least one (1) delegate, or their respective alternate, present from at least one-half (1/2) of the BPOUs of the First District. In the case of a meeting called for the purpose of removing an elected officer it shall be two-thirds (2/3) of the BPOUs. Members of the Executive Committee and representatives from RPM designated affiliate organizations are not to be considered when determining a Central Committee quorum.


D. The Central Committee shall elect an Alternate from its members to the RPM State Executive Committee at the first Central Committee meeting following the district convention in the odd-numbered years.


Article III- Executive Committee


Section 1 Membership.


A. The Executive Committee shall consist of First District Officers, the immediate past chair of the First District (for a single two-year (2-year) term), and one (1) delegate, or their respective alternate, from each Senate District wholly or partly within the First District. All Executive Committee members shall reside in the First District.


B. Senate District delegates and alternates shall be chosen for a two-year (2-year) term in odd numbered years at the First District Convention by a caucus of delegates from that Senate District, if no provisions exist within that Senate District to elect those representatives.


C. If a vacancy exists in both the delegate and alternate position and no provision exists within that Senate District to fill those positions, one of the following methods shall be used to fill the vacancy:

(1) the District Chair shall notify all BPOD Chairs within that Senate District of the vacancy and request nominations be submitted to the next meeting of the Central Committee, who will appoint the replacements, or

(2) these positions may be filled at any First District Convention by a caucus of delegates from that Senate District.


Section 2 Meetings, Powers and Quorum.


A. The Executive Committee shall meet as called by the Chair of the District or by the request of any five (5) members of the Executive Committee, with no less than five (5) days prior notice, mailed either through the United States Postal Service or e-mail (hereinafter referred to as "Mailed") to all members of the committee.


B. All Executive Committee meetings are open. Notice shall be Mailed no less than five (5) Days before the meeting to all Central Committee members, and any BPOU officer that has requested to be included on the mailing list.


C. Subject to the direction of the Central Committee, the Executive Committee shall conduct the affairs of this organization and has the authority to approve the expenditure of funds from the approved operational budget of the First District.


D. A quorum is required to conduct business and is defined as one-half (1/2) of the members of the Executive Committee.


E. The term of all appointees shall expire at the close of the First District convention in odd numbered years.


Article IV – District Officers


Section 1 Officers.


  1. The elected Officers of the First District shall be the Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and State Vice-Chair.


  1. The terms of the elected Officers shall begin at the end of the District Convention in which the election occurs and shall expire at the end of the District Convention in the odd numbered year.


Section 2 Duties.


A. The Chair shall be responsible for the affairs of the First District as prescribed by the Central Committee and this Constitution, when not in conflict with law or the Constitution of the Republican Party of Minnesota. The Chair shall conduct the meetings of the Executive and Central Committee and oversee all arrangements for conventions and other First District gatherings. The Chair shall appropriately supervise Officers in the performance of their duties. The Chair shall have the authority to investigate the malfeasance or nonfeasance of any First District Officer and shall take such actions as are necessary to see that the important, essential and legally required duties of any Officer are faithfully discharged until a properly convened Executive Committee or Central Committee meeting considers the situation and potential removal of said Officer.


B. The Deputy Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair, in the absence of the Chair and be responsible for duties as may be assigned by the Central Committee.


C. The Secretary shall prepare and mail notices of, and shall record minutes of, all meetings of the Executive and Central Committees of the First District and be responsible for duties as may be assigned by the Central Committee.


D. The Treasurer shall exercise proper fiduciary responsibility in maintaining the funds of the First District, shall prepare reports as may be required by the Central Committee, shall file necessary reports to state and federal agencies as required by law and be responsible for duties as may be assigned by the Central Committee.


E. The State Vice-Chair is the First District member on the RPM State Executive Committee and shall attend those monthly meetings and shall prepare reports as may be required by the Central Committee.


Section 3 Vacancies.


A. If a vacancy exists in any elected office, other than the Chair, the chair shall appoint an acting officer, if necessary, to fill the position until the next meeting of the Central Committee. The meeting notice shall note the vacancy and request that an election be held at that meeting.


  1. If a vacancy exists in the Chair's office, the Deputy Chair shall

assume the title of Acting Chair. The next meeting notice of the Central Committee shall note the vacancy in the Chair's office requesting that an election be held at that meeting. If the Deputy Chair (Acting Chair) is elected as Chair, then the Central Committee may hold an election before the committee meeting is adjourned to elect a Deputy Chair if the meeting notice included statement that the Acting Chair desired to be nominated for the Chair's position.


  1. The appointment made by the Central Committee shall serve for the balance of the unexpired term.


Section 4 Elections.


A. The Central Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee made up of one (1) representative from each Senate District, including a convener, for the purpose of preparing a report of all candidates seeking election to the elected offices of the First District at a First District Convention being held in the odd numbered year. The committee, once organized, shall serve notice to all BPOU's of said election, and may recruit qualified candidates. Their report to the convention shall include the names of all candidates, the office they are seeking, and an opinion of "qualified" or "unqualified" for each candidate. The committee shall stop accepting names of candidates one hour after the time specified in the official call to start the convention. Nominations shall be allowed from the floor of the convention. The committee shall prepare ballots for all contested offices.


Section 5 Removal of Officer.


A. Any elected Officer of the First District may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Central Committee at any duly called meeting when a preponderance of the evidence demonstrates in the opinion of said Committee that said Officer has had serious malfeasance or nonfeasance in the performance of the duties of said Office or said Committee believes that said Officer is no longer physically or mentally capable of performing the duties of said Office, and, in either case, said Committee believes it is in the best interest of the First District that said Officer be removed from office.


Article V - Delegates to the State Central Committee


Section 1 BPOU and At-Large District Delegates and Alternates.


This section applies to each BPOU with at least one-fourth (1/4) of its precincts within the boundaries of the First District. BPOU and At-Large District delegate and alternate positions to the State Central Committee shall be elected at conventions held in odd-numbered years. There shall be three (3) alternate positions allocated for each delegate position. Delegate positions shall be apportioned as follows:


A. The delegate positions shall be allocated to the BPOUs on the basis of the Republican Gubernatorial or Presidential votes cast in the First District in the last general election. The total First District Republican votes cast for the gubernatorial or Presidential candidate shall be divided into the votes cast in the BPOU for the same candidate in order to find that BPOU's percent of total First District Republican vote. That percentage is then multiplied by the total number of delegate positions. The whole number, which results, disregarding fractions, shall be the primary delegate allocation to that BPOU.


B. Any BPOU which has zero (0) as the result of the computation in Section lA above shall be allocated one (1) delegate position.


C. Any remaining delegate positions shall be allocated first to no more than four (4) District At Large delegate positions. Lastly any remaining delegate positions shall be allocated to the BPOU's with the largest fractional portions thereof, in descending order and which had at least one (1) delegate resulting from the computation in section lA above.


Section 2 Filling the Delegation.


The filling of the delegation for the State Central Committee shall be as follows:


A. If an insufficient number of delegates from any BPOU is present, the BPOU alternate shall first fill that delegate position.


B. If an insufficient number of At-Large delegates is present, then At-Large alternates shall first fill those delegate positions, in the order of their ranking.


C. Thereafter, any other BPOU or At-Large alternate may be cross-seated to fill any other vacant delegate position in the following manner:


1. At-Large alternates shall be seated first, in the order of their ranking.

2. All other alternates present shall have their seating order determined by lot, to be conducted by the District Chair, the Deputy Chair, or an acting Chair appointed by a caucus of the delegates present.


D. If a delegate or alternate from the delegation where the vacancy existed arrives, that delegate or alternate shall have the right to unseat any cross-seated alternate from another delegation.


Article VI - Constitution


Section 1 Constitution Committee.


At least thirty (30) days prior to the First District convention in the odd numbered year, the Central Committee shall appoint a Constitution Committee with one (1) representative from each legislative Senate District in the First District, to serve through the end of the odd-numbered year convention. The First District Chair shall appoint, with the approval of the Central Committee, a Chair, whom shall call a meeting to review this constitution and any amendment proposal received by the Chair.


Section 2 Amendments.


This constitution may-be amended by a majority vote at the First District Convention in the odd-numbered year, provided that amendments have been reviewed by the Constitution Committee and are reported out of the committee by at least a Minority Report signed by at least three (3) committee members before they are presented to the convention for action.


Section 3 Effective Date.


All amendments shall become effective at the close of the convention in each odd-numbered year.