Election results

This article submitted by Linda Stelling on 11/12/96.

The election are over and Minnesota voters turned out in force topping the nation with 64 percent voter turnout.

The city of Paynesville exceeded the state total with an 86.7 percent turnout of the registered voters. Other communities in the area did as well, the city of Lake Henry had 44 of 56 voters cast ballots and Lake Henry Township had 150 of 195 vote. The city of Regal had 27 of 33 voters go to the polls and St. Martin Township had 152 of 209 vote and the city of St. Martin had 44 of 60 cast ballots.

In the Senate, Michelle Fischbach beat challenger Lynn Schurmann in a rematch of the February special election, 15,522 to 13,867 (see related story). In District 15A incumbent Tom Van Engen, (R-Spicer) was defeated by newcomer Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar, 7,740 to 7.511. In Senate District 20, Stephen Dille defeated Dale Smolnisky, 5,225 to 2,710. In House District 20A, Bob Ness defeated Paul Wright 5,295 to 2,449 in Meeker County.

In the days following the election, the incumbents as well as the newcomers have been meeting in St. Paul. The Senate Republican caucus elected State Senator Steve Dille (District 20, Dassel) as assistant minority leader and re-elected State Senator Dean Johnson (District 15-Willmar) as republican minority leader.

Due to he unrest in the DFL party with the ethics problems, the DFLers elected to replace Irv Anderson, International Falls, as speaker of the House with Phil Carruthers, Brooklyn Center.

In other elections, voters in Kandiyohi County Commissioner District 4 re-elected Dennis Peterson to serve another term. He beat out challenger Stan Block 2,541 to 1,630. In a commissioner rematch of the 1994 election in Meeker County incumbent George Rice, a Watkins farmer, defeated Paynesville Businessman Tom Burr, 992 to 646. In Stearns County, Rose Arnold in Commissioner District 3, ran unopposed and received 10,139 votes.

Paynesville Area Hospital District Board of Directors re-elected its incumbents. Carolyn Swyter, at-large candidate received 1,407 votes; Don Anderson in the city of Paynesville, 906; Bob Brauchler, city of Regal; Diane Rothstein, city of St. Martin, 127; Doug Ruhland, city of Eden Valley, 266.

Regal City Council members elected were Mike Braun, mayor; Pat Pauly, and Jim Halverson, councilmen.

In the St. Martin city elections, Joe Kalthoff was elected mayor with 105 votes. Two councilmen elected were: Otto Kaschmitter, 82 votes andSteve Reverman, 101 votes. James Rothstein received 11 write-in votes.


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