Election to fill late Olmsted County commissioner’s seat

Olmsted County officials have set the date for an Aug. 9 special election to fill the seat of longtime County Commissioner Mike Podulke, who died suddenly in February. He was 67.

Filing for the District 1 seat begins on March 15 and runs through 5 p.m. March 29. If three or more candidates file, officials will hold a primary election on June 7 to narrow the candidates to two before the general election, according to Olmsted County Elections Administrator Pam Fuller.

The August election will cost approximately $25,000. If a primary election is needed, it will cost an additional $25,000, Fuller said.

Podulke was first elected in 1988. Ambulance crews found him dead in his car near a mall in Rochester on Feb. 23. News of his death stunned local officials, community advocates and longtime residents.

Jerry Katzmann, one of his longtime friends, told the Post-Bulletin Podulke was "a trickster, a punster, a poet, a craftsman and the best gift-giver" he'd ever known.

For more information about the special election, visit the Olmsted County Election Department, or call 507-328-7650.

(Photo courtesy of Olmsted County)

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