Junior Andrew Hasek was elected the Minnesota College Republicans’ state chair after members from across the state voted him into the position Saturday evening.

After months of campaigning and a debate against junior Danny Surman, his opponent from Macalester College, Hasek was honored with the position Friday at the Minnesota College Republican State Convention.

“It feels great,” Hasek said. “I am glad the campaign is over, but the real work is only beginning.”

In this new position, Hasek will work with other Republican leaders in the state including students and legislators. His job entails contacting chapter chairs, working with Minnesota Republican Chair Keith Downey and dealing with finances.

Surman told TommieMedia in a written statement that Hasek will do a fine job leading the state.

“As the Vice Chair of the Metro Region, it was a pleasure working with Andrew throughout the last election,” Surman wrote. “He did a great job there and he will do a great job leading the state.”

Surman noted the Tommie pride throughout the elections made Hasek a dominant force.

“St. Thomas controlled 25 percent of the delegate strength at the convention,” Surman wrote. “I knew that, in my race, the numbers would be hard. Those Tommies would not vote against their hometown candidate.”

Hasek said he has several goals with the new leadership position.

“My goal is to better communication between chapters in greater Minnesota so that we are all on the same page,” Hasek said. “I am going to focus on getting more conservatives onto students governments and putting more effort to reaching out to minorities. I also will be working on raising money for 2014 and working with the Minnesota House and Senate.”

Freshman Alex Murphy said having a Tommie as a state representative for the Minnesota College Republicans is promising.

“I feel as though a Tommie will be a great representative for Minnesota Republicans because the Twin Cities are an epicenter of progression, and hopefully Andrew can bring that to the table,” Murphy said.

Sophomore Ali Olson said Hasek is qualified for the position.

“His passion and enthusiasm, paired with his leadership skills and dedication to the goals of the position, are what make him a more than qualified candidate for Minnesota College Republican Chair,” Olson said.

Kayla Bengtson can be reached at beng2004@stthomas.edu.