Local News
Area legislative matchups established
MANKATO — Area Democrats — who don’t have a single incumbent running for re-election in a nine-county region of south-central Minnesota — had to do some shuffling, but they managed to find candidates for every race.
As the legislative filing period closed Tuesday, nine Republican lawmakers were signed up to defend their seats and nine Democrats filed candidacies to try to knock them off. Each of the two big parties also had candidates for the three open seats being vacated by the retirements of three veteran Democrats — Sen. John Hottinger of St. Peter, Rep. John Dorn of Mankato and Rep. Ruth Johnson of St. Peter.
The end of the filing period was more discouraging for supporters of the Green and Independence parties, who put up no candidates in legislative races in south-central Minnesota.
The filings also brought just a single challenge to an endorsed candidate in the region. Mark Piepho of Skyline, who has the Republican endorsement in the District 23 senate race, will need to beat Mathew Kruse of Mankato in the Sept. 12 primary to advance to the Nov. 7 general election.
Following is a round-up of area races for the state Senate, followed by the House:
Senate
District 21: New Ulm Republican Sen. Dennis Frederickson, the dean of south-central Minnesota lawmakers with 26 years in the Senate , will face Margie Hoyt, DFL-Madelia. Hoyt first filed to run for House District 21B but switched to the Senate race when another Democrat became available to run there and no one else had signed up to challenge Frederickson.
District 23: If Piepho tops Kruse on Sept. 12, he’ll go up against former Mankato City Council President Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, in the general election to see who replaces Hottinger.
District 24: First-term Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, is being challenged by Councilman David Wertjes, DFL-Bricelyn.
District 25: Sen. Tom Neuville, R-Northfield, is seeking a sixth term. Rice County Commissioner Jessica Peterson, DFL-Northfield, is looking to end his winning streak at five.
District 26: Sen. Dick Day, R-Owatonna, is facing a rematch of the 2002 election against Jeremy Eller, DFL-Faribault.
House
District 21B: Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Comfrey, will meet Robert Skillings, Jr., DFL-New Ulm.
District 23A: Republican Andy Davis, an Iraq War veteran, and Democrat Terry Morrow, the St. Peter School Board chairman — both of St. Peter — will vie to succeed the retiring Johnson.
District 23B: School board Chairwoman Kathy Brynaert, DFL-Mankato, and attorney Luke Robinson, R-Mankato, are seeking the House seat held for 20 years by Dorn.
District 24A: Rep. Bob Gunther, will become the region’s most senior member of the House if he tops Norma Schmitt, DFL-Winnebago.
District 24B: Two-term Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Vernon Center, is being challenged by Waseca County Commissioner Jim Peterson, DFL-Hartland.
District 25A: Rep. Laura Brod, R-New Prague, faces Timothy Siebsen, DFL-Montgomery, who shifted to this race after initially planning to run against Neuville.
District 26A: Rep. Connie Ruth, R-Owatonna, will attempt to top Kathy Muellerleile, DFL-Owatonna, for the second straight election in the district that includes Waseca.
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