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Politics and Government News
Estelle Timar-Wilcox

Edelson wins Hennepin County Board seat in special election

Polls open in Bloomington.
“I voted” stickers lay ready to be handed out to voters at a polling place during Super Tuesday primary voting on March 5 in Bloomington.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

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DFL state Rep. Heather Edelson will fill a vacant seat on the Hennepin County Board, after winning a special election on Tuesday. 

In preliminary results, Edelson got 54 percent of the vote to defeat businesswoman Marisa Simonetti. The two candidates emerged from a field of six after an April primary election. 

Edelson will represent District 6, which includes Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Wayzata, among other communities. 

She campaigned on improving mental health services and resources for people with disabilities — work that she says she’s well-prepared for after her time in the legislature and her previous job as a mental health therapist.

She will fill the vacant seat left by Chris LaTondresse, who resigned last year to take a job with an affordable housing nonprofit. Edelson will start after the legislative session ends next week.

The seat is up for election again in November.

In other election results from around Minnesota on Tuesday:

  • Voters in the Duluth school district rejected a funding request for technology in schools. A ballot question asked voters whether or not they supported a levy to provide about $5 million annually toward updated classroom technology and stronger cybersecurity measures. The district’s preliminary vote count showed 52 percent voting against the measure. Voters rejected a similar ballot question in November.

  • Fergus Falls school district voters rejected a funding measure for a new elementary school. A bond measure of nearly $55 million would have paid for a new school for grades 3 through 5, to replace older buildings and provide more space for students. The district’s unofficial tally showed 63 percent of the vote against the measure.

  • Pine City school district voters rejected a nearly $43 million referendum to pay for renovations to the elementary school, high school and area learning center. Unofficial results showed about 58 percent of voters did not support the measure.

  • Ellsworth school district voters approved a $5 million referendum for building improvements.

  • Voters in the Norman County East school district supported two ballot questions totaling more than $7 million for building repairs and upgrades.

  • Martin County West school district voters supported a nearly $65 million referendum question for construction of a new pre-K through 12 school at the current high school site in Sherburn. They rejected a second question seeking $2 million to build an auxiliary gym.