# Pat Shortridge
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{{short description|Republican lobbyist in the United States}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Pat Shortridge
| image =
| office = Chair of the [Republican Party of Minnesota](/source/Republican_Party_of_Minnesota)
| term_start = December 31, 2011
| term_end = April 6, 2013
| predecessor = [Tony Sutton](/source/Tony_Sutton)
| successor = [Keith Downey](/source/Keith_Downey_(politician))
| birth_date =
| birth_place = [Winona, Minnesota](/source/Winona%2C_Minnesota)
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = [Republican Party of Minnesota](/source/Republican_Party_of_Minnesota)
| spouse =
| children =
| alma_mater = [Macalester College](/source/Macalester_College)
| occupation = [lobbyist](/source/lobbyist)
}}
'''Pat Shortridge''' is a [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota) lobbyist, former Chair of the [Republican Party of Minnesota](/source/Republican_Party_of_Minnesota) and founder of [Conservative Solutions Project](/source/Conservative_Solutions_Project).
==Early life and education==
Shortridge was born in [Winona, Minnesota](/source/Winona%2C_Minnesota). He attended [Macalester College](/source/Macalester_College).[{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/136913608.html?refer=y |title=Minnesota's new GOP chair thinks ideas can trump turmoil |publisher=StarTribune.com |date=2012-01-08 |accessdate=2013-03-22}}]
==Political career==
After graduating from Macalester College, Shortridge became an intern, then paid staffer, of [Texas](/source/Texas) [Representative](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) [Dick Armey](/source/Dick_Armey),[{{cite web |url=http://www.looktruenorth.com/about-us/contributor-bios/880-pat-shortridge.html |title=True North - Pat Shortridge |publisher=Looktruenorth.com |accessdate=2013-03-22 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208042050/http://looktruenorth.com/about-us/contributor-bios/880-pat-shortridge.html |archivedate=2013-02-08 }}] He left Armey's employment in 2001 to become a [lobbyist](/source/lobbyist) for [Enron](/source/Enron), a position he held for approximately six months before the company went into bankruptcy as a result of the [Enron scandal](/source/Enron_scandal).[{{cite web|author=The Big E |url=http://mnprogressiveproject.com/former-enron-lobbyist-pat-shortridge-perfect-for-mn-gop-party-chair/ |title=Former Enron lobbyist Pat Shortridge perfect for MN GOP Party Chair |publisher=Mnprogressiveproject.com |date=2011-12-21 |accessdate=2013-03-22}}]
After the brief position at Enron, Shortridge returned to [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota) to work for Representative [Mark Kennedy](/source/Mark_Kennedy_(politician)) for five years.[{{cite web|url=https://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/12/31/gop-elects-pat-shortridge |title=Pat Shortridge elected Minn. GOP Chair after party's tumultuous year | Minnesota Public Radio News |publisher=Minnesota.publicradio.org |date=2011-12-31 |accessdate=2013-03-22}}]
In 2011, Minnesota Republican chairman [Tony Sutton](/source/Tony_Sutton) abruptly departed among controversy.[{{cite web|url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2012/01/19/minnesota-republican-party-finances|title=Chairman's spending decisions on insiders helped lead to GOP debt}}][{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/gop-activists-are-questioning-state-chairman/121678049/|title=GOP activists are questioning state chairman}}] Shortridge was elected by 350 party delegates at a meeting on December 31 in [St. Cloud, Minnesota](/source/St._Cloud%2C_Minnesota) over two other candidates.[{{cite web|url=http://politicsinminnesota.com/2012/12/mngop-debt-shrinks-but-turmoil-persists/ |title=MNGOP debt shrinks, but turmoil persists |publisher=Politics in Minnesota |date= |accessdate=2013-03-22}}] He insisted that he would only serve out the remainder of Sutton's term expiring April 6, 2013, when party delegates would select a new chair.[{{cite web|last=Brucato |first=Cyndy |url=http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2013/03/farewell-event-gop-chair-pat-shortridge-part-tribute-part-party-critique |title=Farewell event for GOP Chair Pat Shortridge is part tribute, part party critique |publisher=MinnPost |date=2013-03-19 |accessdate=2013-03-22}}] He was succeeded by [Keith Downey](/source/Keith_Downey_(politician)).[{{cite web | url=http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/201789721.html | title=Minnesota Republican Party elects a new chair | work=[Star Tribune](/source/Star_Tribune) | date=April 6, 2013 | accessdate=April 6, 2013 | author=Stassen-Berger, Rachel E.}}]
==Personal life==
Shortridge resides in [Lino Lakes, Minnesota](/source/Lino_Lakes%2C_Minnesota).