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 | 1969 or 1970 (age 53–54) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Angela |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Clear Lake, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | |
| Website | Government website Campaign website |
Shane Mekeland (born 1969/1970) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Mekeland represents District 15B in central Minnesota, which includes the city of Big Lake and parts of Sherburne County.[1][2]
Mekeland was a convenience store manager and owner for 20 years.[3] He is a general contractor.[4]
Mekeland 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.[1]
Mekeland has called for an audit of the 2020 election.[5] 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.[6]
In 2020, Mekeland wrote a letter to the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners asking it to designate the county a "Second Amendment sanctuary".[7][8]
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.[9][10] He criticized cities for charging high fees on building permits to pay for other government services.[11]
| 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 | ||||
Mekeland resides in Clear Lake, Minnesota, with his partner, Angela, and has one child.[1]
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.[15]