RHONDA SIVARAJAH

CONVENTION SPEECH AS PREPARED

MINNESOTA SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

APRIL 12, 2014

Delegates & Alternates, Ladies & Gentlemen, Special Guests:

I am Rhonda Sivarajah and I seek your endorsement to be the

republican nominee for Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District.

I want to thank my friend, Rep. Peggy Scott, who is a real rock

star in the Minnesota House, for her kind words of support and her

remarks on what I have accomplished on the Anoka County Board of

Commissioners. I’m proud of my achievements there.

I want to thank my wonderful husband, Ran, for his warm words

about who I am as a person. Without his 100% support and

encouragement, I would not be standing here today. Ran and I love

our children Sonjay and Asha more than life itself. All parents do and

we are no exception. We are so proud of them! They felt bad they

couldn’t be here today. Sonjay is attending college in Rochester New

York and Asha is taking her ACT exam as we speak. Say a little

prayer for her if you would as I am sure she is having a difficult time

concentrating.

Friends, I am here before you today to get every single vote

possible for the endorsement, and, if lightening strikes, the

endorsement itself.

I respect enormously the time and energy you have given in

order to be here today. Please believe me when I say thank you: thank

you to those who support me, thank you to those who support my

friend Tom Emmer, thank you to those who support my friend Phil

Krinkie. All three of us owe you a debt of gratitude. Personally, I felt

duty bound to be here to show you my respect.

Yet as almost everyone in this auditorium knows, I announced

earlier in the week that, should I not be successful here today, I would

continue on with my campaign to the August primary.

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I do so for a number of reasons but the foremost one is that our

fellow republicans in the District deserve a voice, not a ratification of

a well meaning system which often excludes them.

To be sure, this exclusion is unintentional: I don’t know a single

person here today who would not welcome more republicans and their

involvement. The reality, though, is that many concerned citizens

simply do not have the time this aspect of the process demands. In

today’s age, the endorsement process is increasingly seen by many as

a relic from a bygone era. Why should we exclude those republicans,

those other voices? I believe we should not. And I believe I owe it to

you—whether you approve of my decision or not—to come here and

explain my thinking. Let me do so.

A primary offers more people the opportunity to be involved in

selecting those who govern them. For conservatives, that should

always be a good thing because it is a good thing.

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I’m going to a primary for the young woman who

volunteered to be secretary at her convention but was

rebuffed because she didn’t support a certain candidate;

I’m going to a primary for the senior citizen who couldn’t

drive on icy roads that particular day;

I’m going to a primary for the single mother working two

jobs so she doesn’t have to be dependent on welfare;

I’m going to a primary for the business owner who is

struggling to survive and can’t afford to take time away

I’m going to the primary to allow regular republicans,

independents and conservative democrats to have their

voices heard.

Finally, I’m going to a primary so that our brave young

men and women serving in our armed forces can

participate in the political process which ultimately

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directs when and where they put themselves in harm’s

way for our freedom.

I want a big tent, ladies and gentlemen, not a small one.

Our base needs to be expanded, not constricted. Our Minnesota

Republican Party as a whole benefits from going to a primary with its

wider audience and increased voter participation. This helps

republicans all around the state, up and down the ballot.

This district is not a slam-dunk republican stronghold. We may

hold an edge but we can ill afford a candidate who can lose that edge.

Michele Bachmann won reelection in 2012 by the narrowest of

margins. This congressional district hasn’t changed since then and we

become complacent at our peril.

I am the candidate who can reach out to all voters in the district

because I have embodied what almost all of them want: lower taxes,

streamlined but effective government and personal integrity. My

views are not for sale and never will be.

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Why should we fear a primary when this is the process we

already have? I believe far from fearing it, we should embrace it. I’m

looking forward to sharing with voters my record of accomplishment

on the Anoka County Board of Commissioners.

Why? Because I believe most voters, not just certain

republicans, want government to be more efficient, less intrusive and

much, much less expensive. Independents and conservative democrats

(whose party has left them) are worthy of our outreach to them, not

our exclusion of them.

I have to be candid with you: some have told me I should stay

where I am because I do a good job. Really? Since when are we the

party that does not reward good performance but instead penalizes it?

I haven’t gotten to where I am today by listening to those negative

voices and I’m not about to start now.

Instead, I want to bring people along with me, as I have done in

the past. I want to change hearts and minds, not draw battle lines. I

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want to listen and then speak, because we republicans have the best

ideas for what will make the most people prosperous, successful, safe

and happy. I’ve removed government out of people’s lives where it

never belonged and reduced its footprint where it must intrude.

That’s the winning kind of republican message the people of

Minnesota desperately need to hear from us.

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to share these

thoughts with you. I leave you with this commitment: going forward I

will run an issues based campaign on what I can offer this district’s

voters in Congress should I be so fortunate to earn their trust.

Because in the end, if you don’t trust the voters, you shouldn’t be on

any ballot.

Thank you very much. God Bless you and May God Continue to

Bless This Great Nation!

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