Primary recap: Norton, Noser advance in Rochester mayoral race
In the Rochester mayoral race, incumbent Kim Norton and conservative challenger Britt Noser will move on to the general election in November.
With all precincts reporting, results from the August 9 primary show Norton receiving 57 percent of the vote, and Noser with 22 percent.
Brad Trahan, who led in fundraising ahead of the primary election, finished in third with 18 percent. Dean Koutsoukos, who ran a self-funded campaign, came in fourth with 3 percent of the vote.
City Council
In the race for Rochester City Council Ward 1, incumbent Patrick Keane came out ahead with 72 percent of the vote. Keane will face challenger Andy Hemenway, who finished at 16 percent, in November.
In the four-way race for Ward 3, the two candidates advancing are Norman Wahl (39 percent) and Vangie Castro (26 percent). Incumbent Councilor Nick Campion chose not to seek a third term in office.
A third position on the ballot in November, for Ward 5, will put incumbent Shaun Palmer up against challenger Saida Omar. Because only two candidates filed for the seat, no primary was needed.
School Board
There will be stark differences on the ballot for Rochester School Board this November, with three incumbents — and one candidate backed by an incumbent — facing off against anti-establishment challengers.
In Positions 5 and 6, Directors Jean Marvin and Cathy Nathan both came away with the majority of votes in their respective three-way primaries.
Marvin (58 percent) will face Kimberly Rishavy (35 percent) in November; Nathan (57 percent) is set to square off against Elena Niehoff (28 percent).
In the open Position 2, second-time candidate Justin Cook finished first with 51 percent of the vote, followed by Rae Parker at 29 percent. Cook was endorsed by Director Melissa Amundsen, who chose not to seek re-election.
There will also be a fourth position (Position 4) on the ballot in November, with incumbent Julie Workman facing challenger John Whelan.
Whelan, Rishavy, Niehoff, and Parker are all part of a newly-formed conservative coalition, dubbed 4 Your Children.
All school board races are citywide elections.
COunty Board
Of the six Olmsted County Board seats on the ballot in November, two required primaries: Districts 4 and 5. Both are open seats.
In District 4, the two candidates advancing to the general election are Brian Mueller (40 percent) and Kindra Ramaker (36 percent).
In a competitive District 5 race, Catherine Davis (34.8 percent) and Michelle Rossman (34.3 percent) came out ahead. A third candidate, Mike Macken, finished in a close third, receiving 30.9 percent of the vote.
The other districts on the ballot in November are:
District 1: Laurel Podulke-Smith and Loring Stead
District 2: Dave Senjem and Gabe Perkins
District 3: Karl Johnson and Gregg Wright (I)
District 6: Sheila Kiscaden (I) is running unopposed
Additionally on the county level, Sheriff Kevin Torgerson is running unopposed. County Attorney Mark Ostrem is facing a challenge from current School Board Director Karen MacLaughlin.
For full primary results, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.
