She had to leave before giving birth. Erin Maye Quade went into labor at about 2 a.m. on Saturday, the morning of Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party convention. Mitchell Walstad, her campaign manager, said that she still appeared in labor and gave her speech.
After finishing her speech, she appears to be holding her stomach and pausing.
To officially be its nominee, Quade had to win the endorsement from the party (the state equivalent to the Democratic Party) at its convention.
There are several rounds of voting at the convention. Delegates who sign up for the convention choose a nominee. Walstad stated that a candidate who receives 60% of the votes will be given the endorsement by the party.
He said that Erin reached a point in her life where she was unable to stay after the first round of voting. She wasn’t forced to leave, but she decided to “leave” because there is often a lot that can change in the endorsing process and it’s possible for a lot more persuasion if there’s not a clear candidate after the first round.
While candidates continue to campaign among votes, Walstad stated that Maye Quade felt she could not meaningfully meet with delegate and present herself accurately through the process.
Maye Quade asked Justin Emmerich her opponent if he would suspend the balloting and allow for a primary to be held after the first ballots are cast. Walstad said that this was possible, according to CBS News.
Delegates could vote for Emmerich, or “no endorsement”, when she left. Emmerich won with 71% votes.
Emmerich stated that he, Maye Quade and the Senate district leadership met to discuss accommodations while Maye Quade was still in labor. He “readily accepted all of them” as did the convention delegate by unanimous consent. Emmerich stated that the accommodations were mostly schedule-related.
He said, “Had Erin or any other delegate requested that the convention be suspended in order to hold it later,” he replied.
Emmerich stated that after the first ballot, a member from his campaign informed him that he was leading with 55%. Emmerich said Maye Quade had 44% and 1% abstained at that point.
Erin said, “I was going to speak to my floor manager to confirm this information.” “She asked me if I would suspend the convention and make the race to a primary, since it seemed to be at even. I replied that I had not verified the count yet but would get back with her. She agreed. But, she decided to suspend her campaign before I could speak again with her.”
Walstad stated that the day was chaotic.
“I called her at 6 AM on Saturday, she was in labor and it was a conversation about, ‘I don’t know if this is possible. I don’t know how I will make it there. I don’t know how long I can go without getting contractions. He said, “I don’t think that I want to have contractions before people.”
Walstad said, “To say that I didn’t know what to do would be an understatement.” “I encouraged her not to take it upon myself to make the right decisions.”
Alyse Maye Quade , Maye’s wife, posted about Harriet Blake Maye quade’s birth on Sunday, 10 days before her due date.
She wrote, “Mom did amazing, even in those moments that got intense and especially when it came down to pushing baby girl out.” “Actually, seeing the power and determination of push after push – I’ll never again look at my spouse the same way, she is so strong.”
