Republican Jason Rarick wins Minnesota Senate special election
The Republican Party now has a majority of three in the Minnesota Senate after Jason Rarick won Tuesday's special election in the 11th District.
The election was triggered when new Gov. Tim Walz appointed Sen. Tony Lourey to be his human services commissioner following his election in November.
And that's now looking like a bit of an error given that Lourey's son Stu was unable to hold on to the seat his father had held since 2006.
GOP challenger Rarick, who represents District 11B in the Minnesota House, won with just over 52 percent of the vote, getting 8,127 of the votes cast to Lourey's 7,171 (45.9%).
Legal Marijuana Now candidate John Birrenbach got 298 votes.
Rarick now takes up his position in District 11, which covers an area bisected by I-35 to the south of Duluth, including the cities of Pine City, Hinckley and Cloquet.
Speaking to supporters after his win, Rarick said that he would prioritize high-speed internet access for rural Minnesota as well as seeking a compromise on the gas tax being considered by Gov. Walz to fund infrastructure projects, the Duluth News Tribune reports.
His election gives the Republicans a majority of three in the Senate, making it more difficult for Gov. Walz and the DFL-led house to get through legislation on the likes of gun control, marijuana legalization, and the aforementioned gas tax.
