Shane Mekeland
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Shane Mekeland
| image =
| state_house = Minnesota
| district = 27A
| constituency = 27A (2023-present)
15B (2019-2022)
| term_start = January 8, 2019
| term_end =
| predecessor = Jim Newberger
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|7|28}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| spouse = Angela
| children = 1
| residence = Clear Lake, Minnesota, U.S.
| education =
| occupation = {{hlist|General contractor|Business owner|Legislator}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/profile/15500|Government website}} {{URL|http://shanemekeland.com/|Campaign website}}
}}
Shane Mekeland (born July 28, 1969){{Cite web |title=Candidate Shane Mekeland |url=https://mn.electionarchives.lib.umn.edu/candidate/shane-mekeland/}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Mekeland, Shane - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present |url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?ID=15500 |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=www.lrl.mn.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Rep. Shane Mekeland (27A) - Minnesota House of Representatives |url=https://www.house.mn.gov/members/profile/15500 |access-date=2023-03-15 |website=www.house.mn.gov}}
Early life and career
Mekeland was a convenience store manager and owner for 20 years.{{cite news |title=House of Representatives candidates share their views |url=https://www.hometownsource.com/morrison_county_record/free/house-of-representatives-candidates-share-their-views/article_4f2ac5be-d60a-11e8-ae10-4b46a2322218.html |accessdate=November 8, 2018 |work=Morrison County Record |publisher=Adams Publishing Group |date=October 22, 2018 |language=en}} He is a general contractor.{{cite news |last1=Hertel |first1=Nora G. |title=Three candidates vie to replace Jim Newberger's seat in District 15B race |url=https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/01/minnesota-house-election-shane-mekeland-karla-scapanski-myron-wilson/1819334002/ |accessdate=November 8, 2018 |work=St. Cloud Times |date=November 1, 2018 |language=en}}
Minnesota House of Representatives
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.
= Political positions =
Mekeland has called for an audit of the 2020 election.{{Cite web |last=Ferguson |first=Dana |date=November 2, 2022 |title=Nearly 1 in 4 Minnesota GOP legislative candidates questioned 2020 election |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/11/02/nearly-1-in-4-minnesota-gop-legislative-candidates-questioned-2020-election |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=MPR News |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Schneider |first=Howard |date=December 16, 2022 |title=Readers Write: GOP's Texas lawsuit, the Electoral College |url=https://www.startribune.com/readers-write-gop-s-texas-lawsuit-the-electoral-college/573411871/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Star Tribune}}
In 2020, Mekeland wrote a letter to the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners asking it to designate the county a "Second Amendment sanctuary".{{Cite web |last=Montemayor |first=Stephen |date=January 21, 2020 |title=GOP lawmakers press for first Minn. 'Second Amendment sanctuary' |url=https://www.startribune.com/gop-lawmakers-press-for-minnesota-s-first-second-amendment-sanctuary/567166462/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Star Tribune}}{{Cite web |last=Marohn |first=Kristi |date=January 21, 2020 |title=Legislators ask Sherburne County to be ‘sanctuary’ from new gun laws |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/01/21/legislators-ask-sherburne-county-to-be-sanctuary-from-new-gun-laws |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=MPR News |language=en}}
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.{{Cite web |last=Bakst |first=Brian |date=February 14, 2023 |title=Meat-plant workers lean on MN lawmakers for safety help |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/02/14/meatplant-workers-lean-on-mn-lawmakers-for-safety-help |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=MPR News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Nesterak |first=Max |date=2023-02-15 |title=Minnesota lawmakers consider new set of safety rules for meatpacking plants |url=https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/02/14/minnesota-lawmakers-consider-new-set-of-safety-rules-for-meatpacking-plants/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Minnesota Reformer |language=en-US}} He criticized cities for charging high fees on building permits to pay for other government services.{{Cite web |last=Roper |first=Eric |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Builders say cities are overcharging for permits |url=https://www.startribune.com/builders-say-cities-are-overcharging-for-permits/556971672/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Star Tribune}}
In 2025, Mekeland led sponsorship of a bill to designate messenger RNA (mRNA) treatments, which include several COVID-19 vaccines, "weapons of mass destruction", and make possessing or administering them a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The bill was drafted by a Florida-based hypnotist and conspiracy theorist who believes that mRNA treatments are "nanoparticle injections" that amount to "biological and technological weapons of mass destruction".https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/04/22/mn-republicans-introduce-vaccine-criminalization-bill-drafted-by-florida-hypnotist/https://josephsansone.substack.com/p/breaking-mrna-mrna-bioweapons-prohibition
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change
| title = 2018 Minnesota State House - District 15B{{cite web|url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=115&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=384&show=Go|title=2018 Results for State Representative District 15B|access-date=February 25, 2023|website=Minnesota Secretary of State}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Shane Mekeland
| party = Republican Party of Minnesota
| votes = 10,699
| percentage = 59.41
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Karla Scapanski
| party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
| votes = 6,161
| percentage = 34.21
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Myron Arthur Wilson
| party = Independent
| votes = 1,137
| percentage = 6.31
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change
| votes = 11
| percentage = 0.06
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 18,008
| percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Republican Party of Minnesota
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = 2020 Minnesota State House - District 15B{{cite web|url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=136&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=384&show=Go|title=2020 Results for State Representative District 15B|access-date=February 25, 2023|website=Minnesota Secretary of State}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Shane Mekeland (incumbent)
| party = Republican Party of Minnesota
| votes = 17,616
| percentage = 70.55
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Ron Thiessen
| party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
| votes = 5,898
| percentage = 23.62
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Myron Arthur Wilson
| party = Veterans Party - Minnesota
| votes = 1,425
| percentage = 5.71
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change
| votes = 32
| percentage = 0.13
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 24,971
| percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Republican Party of Minnesota
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = 2022 Minnesota State House - District 29A{{cite web|url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/results/Index?ErsElectionId=149&scenario=StateRepresentative&DistrictId=411&show=Go|title=2022 Results for State Representative District 29A|access-date=February 25, 2023|website=Minnesota Secretary of State}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Shane Mekeland (incumbent)
| party = Republican Party of Minnesota
| votes = 14,798
| percentage = 70.68
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Sherri Leyda
| party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
| votes = 6,115
| percentage = 29.21
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change
| votes = 24
| percentage = 0.11
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 20,937
| percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Republican Party of Minnesota
}}
{{Election box end}}
Personal life
Mekeland resides in Clear Lake, Minnesota, with his partner, Angela, and has one child.
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.{{Cite web |last=Montemayor |first=Stephen |date=October 15, 2018 |title=Minnesota House candidate says he was attacked at Benton County restaurant |url=https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-house-candidate-says-he-was-attacked-at-benton-county-restaurant/497605921/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Star Tribune}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{MN-legdb|15500}}
- [https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/profile/15500 Official House of Representatives website]
- [http://shanemekeland.com/ Official campaign website]
{{Minnesota House of Representatives}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mekeland, Shane}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Category:Year of birth uncertain