Press Release by Phillip C Parrish, Kenyon, Minn. – I am withdrawing as a candidate for Minnesota Secretary of State and regret that this will disappoint some of my supporters. I remain grateful for the wonderful people who have supported my endeavors. I make this decision with three critical priorities in mind: faith, family, and freedom. Please read to the end.
Faith – Above all else, my relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the foundation that provides me the strength, courage, and wisdom to meet life’s daily challenges. By God’s grace, I have an amazing faith family and community. The work that God has called me to provides me the opportunity to live out my faith openly and with joy. I cannot imagine a more amazing place in life to be than where I am right now. Recently, people I care deeply about helped me to understand that some of my personal aspirations cause significant anxiety and distress. I pray they forgive me as we continue to work together for what God has called us to do.
Family – My faith calls me to be the best husband, father, and grandfather I can be. As I attempt to manage the multiple goals and objectives I have set for myself, I must be aware of the impact on family. My wife, Victoria, has been the person to fill in the gaps when my self-imposed obligations become too much. Vicki, and some very good friends, always assured family needs are met. However, life has changed for so many of us these past 2 years, and increasingly we do not have the emotional and physical stamina to take on so many goals and objectives beyond the needs of our family and faith community. It would be sad if we looked back on the coming years with regret for not being strong enough to set our priorities straight.
Freedom – I will not remain in any situation where a person or set of obligations deters my ability to exercise my God given freedoms. In recent events, people have attempted the familiar routine of demanding I change certain narratives or positions under the pretense of their personal calculation of what is more electable. I have been subjected, yet again, to the typical political gamesmanship within the MNGOP and political operatives running Republicans against Republicans. This behavior, along with the dysfunctional and intentionally harmful Minnesota endorsement-primary hybrid, puts all grassroots, good and decent candidates, at a severe disadvantage. The MNGOP uses this political gamesmanship to unethically fundraise for everything other than the actual candidate. If I were to continue to run as a MN SOS candidate, it would negatively impact my ability to speak openly about all these aspects of the coming 2022 election. I will continue to tell people what needs to be said, not what some people want said. The MNGOP has a percentage of toxic people that are simply so out of touch that they refuse to see the harm they cause. The MN DFL, Governor Walz, and DNC are an outright criminal organization. Some of the most intellectually and morally bankrupt people are ruling us. I wish to remain in a position where I openly and freely speak the truth. I will continue to inform people about intellectually and morally bankrupt people, agendas, activities, or ideologies that we are faced with today.
For Immediate Release, October 22, 2021 Contact: Phillip C Parrish, [email protected]
