GRAND FORKS — Mark Johnson, leader of Minnesota’s Senate Republicans, has won another term representing the northwest corner of the state.
Johnson, of East Grand Forks, topped Democrat-Farmer-Labor challenger Bjorn Solberg, of Halstad, in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, election. Shortly before midnight, Johnson had earned 68.18% of the vote.
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Also shortly before midnight, incumbent Republican John Burkel beat DFL candidate Leanna Sandahl in District 1A, earning 70.14% to Sandahl's 29.81%, while incumbent Republican Steve Gander beat Jennifer Compeau, DFL, in District 1B, 66.55% to 33.39%.
District 1 includes Norman, Polk, Red Lake, Pennington, Marshall, Kittson and Roseau counties in the extreme northwest corner of the state. Its northern half is designated 1A, while the southern portion is 1B.
Johnson, in a pre-election questionnaire from the Grand Forks Herald, said when the session convenes in January, he’ll “keep pushing comprehensive fraud prevention and accountability reforms, lower tab fees and meaningful property tax relief, support for small businesses and family farms, and investments in rural infrastructure, schools and local services.”
The work matters, he said, beca...