Local results from primary election day in Minnesota Tuesday

It was primary election day in Minnesota Tuesday, and in local results from Tuesday’s election, a primary was required for the Austin City Council At-Large seat as three candidates were vying for two spots in the November general election, and it was former 1st Ward City Councilman Oballa Oballa receiving 1,637 votes, current At-Large City Councilman Jeff Austin receiving 1,569 votes and David Schenck receiving 626 votes.  In the primary for State Senate in District 23, Republican Gene Dornink received 5,874 votes, or 71.5% to challenger Lisa Hanson’s 2,342 votes, or 28.5%.  In Mower County, Dornink received 1,960 votes, or 77.4% to Hanson’s 572 votes, or 22.6%.  Dornink, who is currently the Senator from District 27 will face Democrat Brandon Lawhead of Austin, who did not face a primary challenge on Tuesday and received 5,882 votes.

Local voters also cast their ballots for not only primary races in the 1st U.S. Congressional District Tuesday, but also to determine who would serve out the remainder of the late Congressman Jim Hagedorn’s term until the end of the year, and for the Republicans, endorsed candidate Brad Finstad received 48,257 votes, or 76% to challenger Jeremy Munson’s 15,207 votes, or 23.9%.  In Mower County, Finstad received 2,429 votes, 81.7% to Munson’s 544 votes, or 18.3%.  For the Democrats, endorsed candidate Jeff Ettinger of Austin received 51,394 votes, or 92.1%.  The next closest challenger was James Rainwater with 3,119 votes, or 5.9%.  In Mower County, Ettinger received 3,499 votes, or 97.3% to Rainwater’s 57 votes, or 1.6%.  In the special election to fill the vacant seat in the 1st U.S. Congressional District, it was Republican Brad Finstad receiving 60,261 votes, or 50.8%, and Democrat Jeff Ettinger received 55,341 votes, or 46.6%. 

Mower County Auditor/Treasurer Scott Felten stated that the county’s Canvassing Board will be meeting on Friday, August 12 at 11:00 am at the Mower County Government Center to canvass and certify the election results.  The meeting, as a reminder, is open to the public.