Chauvin Tribute At GOP Convention In Minnesota Sparks Strong Backlash

The Minnesota Republican Party held its 2026 state endorsement convention in Duluth over the weekend of May 30 and 31, bringing together roughly 2,300 delegates to endorse candidates for statewide office ahead of the November general election.

Kendall Qualls emerged as the Republican endorsed candidate for governor after ten rounds of voting, with the party also endorsing candidates for other statewide races.

The convention wrapped up its work just as the DFL held its own separate convention the same weekend, where Amy Klobuchar received the DFL endorsement for governor, with former Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer named as her running mate.

A Controversial Moment on May 31

Before the endorsement business concluded, a moment on the convention floor drew significant attention.

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State Rep. Danny Nadeau of Rogers, who was serving as convention chair, took an informal vote among delegates and then led a 10-second moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd. The moment occurred on what was the sixth anniversary of George Floyd's death.

Chauvin is serving a 21-year federal sentence for violating George Floyd's civil rights, running concurrently with a 22½-year state sentence for second-degree murder. If his ongoing appeals are unsuccessful, he will not be released until 2038.

Derek Chauvin is currently housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Big Spring, Texas, where he was transferred after being stabbed in prison in 2023.

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Nadeau told the Star Tribune the moment was not planned by party leaders, noting that any delegate has the right to make a motion during that portion of the convention process, and that delegates offered hundreds of such motions throughout the weekend.

The Backlash

The moment drew swift condemnation from Democratic lawmakers. Rep. Jamie Long of Minneapolis called the tribute "disgusting," saying the Minnesota GOP chose to honor a convicted murderer rather than victims of gun violence or soldiers killed overseas.

Rep. Jay Xiong of St. Paul shared Long's statement on social media and called out House Speaker Lisa Demuth of Cold Spring for staying silent on the matter, writing, "This is Trump's party."

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted Chauvin, issued a written statement saying: "To honor a man who disgraced his oath to uphold the law and his badge is disturbing."

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The contrast with the DFL convention was noted by several observers. While the GOP moment of silence honored Chauvin, the DFL convention paid tribute to former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were assassinated at their Brooklyn Park home by an extremist gunman last year.

As of Monday, House Speaker Lisa Demuth had not issued a public statement regarding the moment of silence.