Incumbent, newcomer will represent New Prague, area in state House

New Prague and the area will be represented by a DFLer who successfully navigated her first re-election bid and a police chief making his initial bid for state elected office.

Belle Plaine Police Chief Terry Stier, a Republican, defeated Sara Nett-Torgrimson, a DFLer from rural Mankato, 17,053 (68.74%) to 7,740 (31.20%) in the race for Minnesota House District 22B. The district includes the portion of New Prague in Le Sueur County, the rest of the county, the city of Belle Plaine, St. Lawrence, Blakeley and Belle Plaine townships in Scott County. The seat opened when Brian Pfarr, R-Le Sueur, decided against seeking re-election.

Stier carried all 35 precincts in the election, including the portion of New Prague in Le Sueur County (1,321 to 662), Montgomery (1,234 to 576), Waterville (626 to 338), Le Sueur (1,254 to 775) and Belle Plaine (2,741 to 1,261).

Voters in House District 58A re-elected Rep. Kristi Pursell, DFL-Northfield, over Rita Hillmann Olson, a Republican from Wheatland Township, 13,225 (52.43%) to 12,067 (47.48%). Pursell won on the strength of her support in Northfield. She took eight precincts in the city by an almost 3 to 1 margin, 8,507 to 3,052. Hillmann Olson won in Lonsdale (1,842 to 727), Webster Township (833 to 414), Wheatland Township (620 to 206), Cedar Lake Township (1,521 to 589) and the portion of the district in New Prague (1,645 to 996).

East of New Prague, Rep. Jon Koznick, R-Lakeville, soundly defeated Veda Kanitz, DFL-New Market Township, in District 57A, 16,479 (62.55%) to 9,848 (37.38%). The district includes the cities of Elko New Market and Credit River and New Market Township in Scott County, seven Lakeville precincts and Eureka Township in Dakota County. Koznick took the vote in Elko New Market (2,004 to 928) and New Market Township (1,754 to 720) en route to winning all 12 precincts.

County races
Races for two county commissioner seats on both sides of Highway 19 were quite different.

In Le Sueur County’s First Commissioner District, Dennis Tietz defeated Elizabeth (Liz) Krocak, 2,326 (73.98%) to 812 (25.83%). Commissioner David Gliszinski opted against a re-election bid. Tietz carried all three precincts, winning the New Prague precinct in Le Sueur County, 1,380 to 466. Voters in Lanesburgh Township favored Tietz, 889 to 311.

On the north side of the highway, Commissioner Barb Weckman Brekke survived a challenge from former Commissioner Joe Wagner, 7,765 (50.51%) to 7,565 (49.21%).

Wagner had been listed as the winner late Tuesday night, Nov. 5, but with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website indicating all 15 precincts had reported precinct vote totals, a late round of ballots from the city of Shakopee pushed Weckman Brekke over the top. Friday, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office said a precinct listed as reporting only means it has reported some of the votes cast at the precinct, not necessarily all of them.

Wagner enjoyed support from New Prague voters in Scott County. They backed him over Weckman Brekke, 1,263 to 995. Voters in Belle Plaine also backed Wagner over the incumbent, 1,908 to 1,629. Weckman Brekke won the election on the strength of support from voters in Jordan (1,650 to 1,534) and two Shakopee precincts (1,134 to 892).

A Red wave
Voters in the community backed GOP candidates across the ballot.

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat, topped Republican Joe Teirab in the race for the U.S. House’s Second Congressional District, 231,750 (55.53%) to 175,620 (42.08%). Voters in New Prague. Local voters favored Teirab, 2,651 to 2,017.

New Prague voters also favored Republican Royce White over Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, 2,471 to 2,084. Klobuchar was re-elected with 1,792,428 (56.20%) over White (1,291,702 (40.5%). They also favored Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris, 3,023 to 1,743.

In Elko New Market, voters also favored GOP candidates. They backed Trump over Harris, 1,994 to 1,006, and White over Klobuchar, 1,715 to 1,178. They backed Teirab over Craig, 1,801 to 1,122.