Five takeaways from the 2022 elections
First Congressional District shifts right
Minnesota’s First Congressional District gave Republicans in the U.S. House a boost in the party’s path to a majority. GOP Rep. Brad Finstad, who won the special election for the position in August, defeated DFLer Jeff Ettinger by a more than 11-point margin — giving him his first full term in office. Prior to redistricting, Ettinger had come within four points of Finstad to fill the seat held by the late Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn.
Norton re-elected to second term
Rochester Mayor Kim Norton defeated challenger Britt Noser by 16 points to earn a second term in office. While Norton’s margin of victory was decisive yet again, she did fall short of her 2018 election finish in which she won every precinct in the city and was elected by a two-to-one margin. During her first term, Norton dealt with challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, a downward downtown economy, and concerns over racial equity.
School board incumbents prevail
Rochester voters sent a strong rebuke to a conservative bloc of candidates vying for the Rochester School Board. In the four races on the ballot, the incumbents (and one candidate backed by an incumbent) sailed to victory — notching double-digit wins over their counterparts, who had banded together under the moniker “4 Your Children.” The only race separated by less than 20 percentage points was for Position 5; School Board Chair Jean Marvin defeated Kim Rishavy in that race by 14 points.
Boldon, Nelson win state senate seats
In the new Senate District 25, DFLer Liz Boldon was elected to replace Republican State Sen. Dave Senjem, who is retiring from the seat and turning his attention to county politics. In the new Senate District 24, longtime GOP State Sen. Carla Nelson benefited from split-ticket voting along with a redrawn district that includes more rural voters. In the Minnesota House, three of the four Rochester area seats were won by Democrats. Come 2023, Democrats will hold majorities in both the House and Senate along with the governor’s office.
Four new commissioners elected to county board
Due to retirements, there were four open board seats on the ballot this fall. In Districts 1 and 2, two familiar names came out ahead: Laurel Podulke Smith, the daughter of incumbent Stephanie Podulke, and Dave Senjem, the longtime legislator. The other two open seats were won by Brian Mueller (District 4), a former Rochester Township board member, and Michelle Rossman (District 5), an executive for an agricultural trade group. The four newcomers will join two incumbent board members who won election this cycle: Gregg Wright (District 3) and Sheila Kiscaden (Kiscaden ran unopposed in District 6).
