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Legislative Elections to Have City Tint This Fall

Nearly 60 candidates with city experience have filed for legislative seats.
(Published May 26, 2010)

The new Legislature that will convene in St. Paul in January 2011 is likely to continue the Minnesota tradition of including many women and men who also have served as elected city officials. Although the filing deadline isn’t until June 1, nearly 60 candidates with city experience have filed or are already actively campaigning for legislative seats.

Fifty-seven individuals who are either current or former mayors or city council members, including 33 incumbents and 24 challengers to date, have filed or are actively campaigning for the Minnesota Legislature.

The 2010 Minnesota Senate has 10 members (15 percent of the 67 members) who at one time served as elected city officials. Of these, one served as both mayor and councilmember, one was mayor, and eight were councilmembers. There are 26 members of the 2010 Minnesota House of Representatives (19 percent of the 134 members) who served as elected city officials at one time. Of these, five served as both mayor and councilmember, three were mayor, and 18 were councilmembers.

In addition to legislative elections, there are also those who leave the legislative arena for the chance to return home and seek local election in their hometown. For example, current League Board member and Paynesville city councilmember Jeff Bertram is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives; former state Rep. Andy Steensma serves as mayor of Luverne; former state Rep. K.J. McDonald serves as mayor of Watertown; former state Rep. Char Samuelson serves on the New Brighton City Council; and former state Sen. Dave Kleis is the mayor of St. Cloud.

Below is a list of the individuals who are seeking to continue Minnesota’s rich history of city officials serving in the state Legislature after honing their skills at city hall. Individuals are listed by legislative district (SD=Minnesota Senate District and HD=Minnesota House of Representatives District). For a current list of all candidate filings, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.

  • SD3 – Sen. Tom Saxhaug, former Grand Rapids councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 3B – Rep. Loren Solberg, former Bovey mayor, incumbent
  • HD 4A – Richard Lehmann, Bemidji mayor, challenging incumbent
  • HD 4B – Meg Bye, former Duluth councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • SD7 – Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon, former Duluth councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 7A – Rep. Thomas Huntley, former Duluth councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 7B – Rep. Roger Reinert, former Duluth councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 8B – Roger Crawford, former Mora mayor, challenging incumbent
  • SD9 – Jeff Backer, Browns Valley mayor, challenging incumbent
  • HD 9A – Rep. Morrie Lanning, former Moorhead mayor, incumbent
  • HD 9A – Greg Lemke, Moorhead councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • HD 9B – Rep. Paul Marquart, former Dilworth mayor, incumbent
  • HD 10B – Pete Philips, former Wadena councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • HD 12A – Rep. John Ward, former Proctor mayor, incumbent
  • HD 12A – John Goedker, Brainerd councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • HD 12B – Mike LeMieur, Little Falls councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • SD14 – Sen. Michelle Fischbach, former Paynesville councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 14A – Tim O’Driscoll, Sartell mayor, open seat
  • HD 14B – Rep. Larry Hosch, former St. Joseph mayor, incumbent
  • SD15 – John Pederson, St. Cloud councilmember, open seat
  • HD 15A – Rep. Steve Gottwalt, former St. Cloud councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 17B – Sheldon Anderson, Wyoming mayor, open seat
  • SD23 – Sen. Kathy Sheran, former Mankato councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 25A – Mick McGuire, Montgomery mayor, open seat
  • SD26 – Sen. Mike Parry, former Waseca councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 26B – Dan Kaiser, Medford mayor, challenging incumbent
  • HD 27B – Rep. Jeanne Poppe, former Austin councilmember, incumbent
  • SD28 – John Howe, Red Wing mayor, open seat
  • SD29 – Sen. David Senjem, former Rochester councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 31B – Rep. Gregory Davids, former Preston mayor, incumbent
  • HD 31B - Steve Kemp, Spring Grove councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • SD33 – Sen. Gen Olson, former Minnetrista mayor, incumbent
  • HD 33A – Rep. Steve Smith, former Mound mayor, incumbent
  • HD 34A - Jim Nash, Waconia councilmember, open seat
  • HD 35A – Rep. Michael Beard, former Shakopee councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 35B – Rep. Mark Buesgens, former Jordan councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 36A – Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, former Lakeville councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 37B – Rep. Phillip Sterner, former Rosemount councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 37B – Bill Kurts, Rosemount councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • HD 38A – Rep. Sandra Masin, former Eagan councilmember, incumbent
  • SD39 – Sen. James Metzen, former South St. Paul councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 39B – Rep. Joe Atkins, former Inver Grove Heights mayor, incumbent
  • HD 40B – Rep. Ann Lenczewski, former Bloomington councilmember, incumbent
  • SD41 – Steve Elkins, Bloomington councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • SD42 – Ron Case, Eden Prairie councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • SD44 – Sen. Ron Latz, former St. Louis Park councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 46B – Rep. Debra Hilstrom, former Brooklyn Center councilmember, incumbent
  • SD48 – Sen. Mike Jungbauer, former East Bethel mayor, incumbent
  • HD48A – Laurie Olmon, Nowthen councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • SD49 – Paul Meunier, Ham Lake mayor, challenging incumbent
  • HD 49B – Rep. Jerry Newton, former Coon Rapids councilmember, incumbent
  • SD50 – Gina Bauman, New Brighton councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • HD 53A – Linda Runbeck, former Circle Pines councilmember, challenging incumbent
  • HD 54B – Rep. Bev Scalze, former Little Canada councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 55A – Rep. Leon Lillie, former North St. Paul councilmember, incumbent
  • HD 57A – Jen Peterson, Cottage Grove councilmember, open seat
  • HD 64B – Rep. Michael Paymar, former Duluth councilmember, incumbent

The League has created a list of the current state legislators, constitutional officers, and federal officials who have served as elected city officials. The list is constantly being revised and updated.

View the list of state and federal officials with city experience (pdf)

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