By Robert Williams

Editor

Jordan Rasmusson and Nathan Miller had the race of the night on Primary Tuesday, Aug. 9. Rasmusson edged Miller in the Republican primary race for state Senate District 9 by a four percent margin, a difference of 353 votes of the 11,123 cast.

Currently, Rasmusson is state representative for House District 8A and his term lasts until January 3, 2023. He will face democratic candidate Cornel Walker in the general election for the District 9 Senate seat. Walker was unopposed in the primary.

Of 41 votes cast in Vergas, Rasmusson earned 16, Miller 14 and Walker 11.

State Senate District 9 Republicans

Jordan Rasmusson 5,738, 52 percent

Nathan Miller 5,385, 48 percent

Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Cornel Walker 3,111, 100 percent

State Senate District 5

Paul Utke of Park Rapids defeated challengers Bret Bussman and Dale A.P. Anderson to capture the Republican primary for Senate District 5.

Utke is the current District 2 state senator who was moved into the District 5 race after redistricting. Utke will face Democratic candidate A. John Peters in the general election on Nov. 8.

Frazee residents cast a total of 89 votes, 37 for Utke, 26 for Bussman, two for Anderson and 18 for Peters.

Republican (Candidate, votes, percentage)

Paul J. Utke 5,024, 57.34 percent

Bret Bussman 2,832, 32.32 percent

Dale A.P. Anderson 906, 10.34 percent

Democratic-Farmer-Labor

A. John Peters 2,462, 100 percent

U.S. Congressional District 7

Republican incumbent Michelle Fischbach will face Jill Abahsain (DFL) and Travis “Bull” Johnson in the general election. 

Johnson ran unopposed for the Legal Marijuana Now party. Abahsain defeated fellow Democrat Alycia Gruenhangen by a nearly 20-percent margin.

Republican 

Michelle Fischbach 59,440, 100 percent

Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Jill Abahsain 14,353, 59.01 percent

Alycia R Gruenhagen 9,971, 40.99 percent

Legal Marijuana Now

Travis “Bull” Johnson 509, 100 percent

U.S. Congressional District 8    

Both races in District 8 were landslide victories with both incumbent U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, of Hermantown, and state Rep. Jennifer Schultz, of Duluth, advancing.

Schultz announced in March she would not seek a fifth term representing eastern Duluth in the Minnesota House of Representatives and would run for Congress.

Republican (Candidate, votes, percentage)

Pete Stauber 51,404, 91.02 percent

Harry Robb Welty 5,074, 8.98 percent

Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Jen Schultz 38,536, 86.14 percent

John Munter 6,199, 13.86 percent

Otter Tail County Commissioner District 2

Wayne Donald Johnson 37.29 percent (776) and Jeffery Mark Gontarek 25.37 percent (528) were the top two vote recipients of the five candidates vying for the district 2 seat and will square off come November.

OTC Dist. 2

Wayne Donald Johnson 776, 37.29 percent

Jeffery Mark Gontarek 528, 25.37 percent

David Helgerson 398, 19.13 percent

Tammy S. Ziegler 222, 10.67 percent

Dean E. Anderson 157, 7.54 percent

Becker County Commissioner District 1 and 2

Top primary vote getter Craig Hall, the Height of Land Township supervisor, will face Erica Jepson of Evergreen Township for the District 1 seat on the Becker County Board.

The duo defeated Osage Township supervisor Tim Clements.

The winner will fill the seat of former commissioner Larry Knutson who did not file for reelection.

Becker Dist. 1

Craig Hall 576, 40.68 percent

Erica Jepson 438, 30.93 percent

Tim Clements 402, 28.39 percent

Becker Dist. 2

Ben Grimsley (329 votes) and David Meyer (284) will vie for the District 2 seat in November after eliminating Darin Halvorson (238) and Steven Walz (167) Tuesday.

Ben Grimsley 329, 32.32 percent

David Meyer 284, 27.90 percent

Darin Halvorson 238, 23.38 percent

Steven D Walz 167, 16.40 percent