Think 1 vote doesn't matter? A single ballot decided Franson race

State GOP lawmaker Mary Franson, who represents Minnesota House District 8B, appears to have won by a single vote in her race with DFLer Bob Cunniff of Alexandria. The final tally: 10,652 to 10,651.

Author:: BMTN Staff
Updated:: Mar 8, 2018
Original:: Nov 7, 2012

State GOP lawmaker Mary Franson, who represents Minnesota House District 8B, appears to have won by a single vote in her race with DFLer Bob Cunniff of Alexandria, the Alexandria Echo Press reports.

The final tally: 10,652 to 10,651, MPR reports. A race that close triggers an automatic recount, Politics in Minnesota notes.

Franson has found herself at the center of controversy this year. She said a House prayer that mentioned Earth Day was offensive, the Star Tribune reported.

She refused to heed protesters who called for her to step down after a video surfaced that critics said was offensive to the poor. She suggested offering food stamps was akin to feeding wild animals.

And Franson got into a nasty fight with her ex-boyfriend Eric Harpel, McLeod County GOP chairman, last summer that temporarily involved a restraining order, CityPages reported.