Rice County Commissioner Incumbents Move to General Election

During the Minnesota Primary Election Tuesday Rice County incumbent Commissioners Jake Gillen and Jeff Docken finished in the top two to advance to the November General Election.

In Commissioner District 1 Jacob (Jake) Gillen finished well behind Jim Purfeerst.  Purfeerst received 796 votes, Gillen 386, Bill McDonald 263 and Joe (Joseph) Adamek 197.  Approximately 20.2 percent of registered voters in the 11 precincts included in the Commissioner District went to the polls.

The district includes rural Faribault and Northfield area townships as well as the communities of Dundas and Nerstrand.  Two City of Northfield precincts are also included.

Purfeerst received the most votes in every precinct except Nerstrand where McDonald garnered the most votes with 26.  Purfeerst had 20, Gillen 4 of the total 52 votes cast.

In the two City of Northfield precincts in the district Purfeerst received 172 votes, Gillen 137.  Northfield Township the tally was Purfeerst 87, Gillen 37.  In Bridgewater Township Purfeerst tallied 160, Gillen 77.  Cannon City Township Purfeerst 78, Gillen 29.  Dundas the vote was 82 for Purfeerst, 42 Gillen. Richland Township voted 51 for Purfeerst, Gillen 14.  Walcott Township Purfeerst 86 votes, Gillen 35.  Wheeling Township 59 votes for Purfeerst and 11 for Gillen.

District 5 Commissioner Jeff Docken received 63.15% of votes cast.  Kim Halvorson was next with 21.53 percent, Kurt Wolf 15.31%.  Totals were 833 Docken, 284 Halvorson and 202 Wolf.

Docken had the most votes in all 10 precincts in the district which includes the communities of Lonsdale, Morristown and Webster as well as some Northfield and Faribault area townships.  Turnout was approximately 15.2% of the registered voters.

In Goodhue County, Commissioner District 3 had the only race with 4 people vying to move to the General Election.  Todd Greseth received the most total votes with 501.  Keith Allen will move on to the November election after receiving 372 total votes.  Rod Steele had 211 and Phillip Charles Parrish 68

The estimated turnout was 19.5% of registered voters in the 11 precincts included in Goodhue County Commissioner District 3.

Greseth had the most votes in 6 precincts.  Allen 4 precincts and Steele won Pine Island with 167 votes compared to 54 for Greseth and Parrish with 13.  Allen had one more vote than Greseth in Dennison (13 to 12).  Two more votes in Kenyon Township (19 to 17).  Greseth collected 6 more votes in Wanamingo Township (51-45).

Greseth had 102 votes cast for him in Kenyon.  Allen 70, Parrish 14 and Steele 9.

Dakota County Commissioner District 3 includes 21 precincts.  Laurie Halverson and Diane Anderson will square off in November.  Halverson got 4,219 or 47.77% of the vote.  Anderson 1,672 votes, 18.93% with six candidates trying to move to the General Election.

Commissioner District 3 in Dakota County includes 14 precincts in Eagan, Lilydale, the City of Mendota and Mendota Heights.

Wabasha County Commissioner District 1 has 5 precincts.  There may have to be a recount there because two votes separated Paul Kruger Junior and Marcella Kahn.  Robert Walkes had the most votes with 272, Kahn 136, Kruger 134.

Walkes captured all but one of the precincts.  He and Kahn had 16 votes each in Watopa Township.  Kruger received 10 votes.

Northfield Mayor Rhonda Pownell had the most votes of three individuals on the primary ballot with 2,489.  David Ludescher will be her opponent in November after receiving 822 primary votes.  Jon Dension had 223 votes cast for him.

All 8 Northfield precincts are included with one of them in Dakota County.  In that precinct Pownell got 250 votes, Ludescher 68.

Pownell received the most votes in all precincts.