Pregnant politician Erin Maye Quade delivered a speech at her party's convention, where she wanted to secure a nomination as a Minnesota state senate candidate, and she was also about to deliver a baby as she was in labor while on the stage.
In the early morning of the convention on Saturday, April 23, Maye Quade experienced what would have been the start of her labor contractions but she decided not to go to the hospital just yet. Instead, Mitchell Walstad, her campaign manager, asked the convention organizers to move up Quade's speech to an earlier time.
Walstad told USA Today that Maye Quade continued to have contractions in a private room while they waited for her turn at the convention, where she will be speaking for 10 to 15 minutes. When she did get up the stage, the pregnant politician could be seen pausing in between her speech as she was having contractions. The crowd cheered her on.
Today in Minnesota, @ErinMayeQuade gave a convention speech while in active labor. And her opponent didn’t think to ask to postpone the convention as she, you know, had to go to the hospital to deliver her baby. What the hell. pic.twitter.com/Wmu5fh40I6
— ashley fairbanks (@ziibiing) April 24, 2022
Maye Quade Withdrew from the Endorsement Process
According to CBS News, the mom tried to stay during the first round of balloting. However, she knew she could no longer hold out on the endorsement from the party, which has to reach 60 percent of the votes, so she decided to withdraw.
Her campaign manager said that Maye Quade did not want to shortchange the delegates since she could not submit through the process properly. However, her team also said that she actually discussed pausing the balloting with her opponent, Justin Emmerich, who was willing to accommodate her.
But then Emmerich said Maye Quade and her team made no formal request or motion to suspend the balloting, leaving Emmerich to win the endorsement by 71 percent. Emmerich said that prior to Maye Quade asking for the ballot suspension, he was already leading by 55 percent to her 44 percent in the first round.
Walstad, on the other hand, wondered why the convention was not suspended since there was a type of medical emergency. The new mom has yet to address what happened in the press. For now, she's not granting any interviews given that she has just given birth.
Maye Quade Could Run Again
According to Twin Cities Pioneer Press, the state senate candidate is not ruling out another bid for the nomination and she could be back for the primary in August. Maye Quade was a former state representive who also ran for the lieutenant governor post four years ago.
Prior to giving birth, the mother's doctors already advised her to slow it down since she was on the final few weeks of her pregnancy. The state candidate said she had to go door-to-door in the campaigns so the delegates would know her.
Meanwhile, Alyse Maye Quade, the candidate's wife, revealed that Harriet Blake Maye Quade was born 10 days before her due date on Sunday, April 24 at 2:20 a.m. or almost 24 hours after the first contractions. Alyse also said that her wife did an awesome job when she pushed their daughter out.
"I'll never look at my wife the same again, she is so powerful," Alyse said.
