Minnesotans aiming for county, state, federal offices have 2 weeks to file candidacy
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People hunting for a spot on an upcoming Minnesota ballot began to claim their space Tuesday as the candidate filing period opened for county, state and federal office.
The window for getting onto the ballot either through a major-party line or minor party signature petitions remains open through June 4. A reconsideration period lasts for two days after that.
For the first time since the 2016 election, there are only two major parties in the state: the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and the Republican Party. Another, the Legal Marijuana Now Party, was demoted by a recent Minnesota Supreme Court ruling.
Rep. Brian Johnson, R-Cambridge, was the first in the line at the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office in St. Paul on Tuesday morning.
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“I just happened to be down here for other things, so I thought I’d stop in before I head back up to the district and get back talking to my constituents,” Johnson said shortly before the filing period opened at 8 a.m.
Still tired from the just-ended legislative session, Johnson said representing his constituents, regardless of their political allegiances, is important.
“We are representatives of the people,” Johnson said. “We represent our district, but we also represent the entire state.”
All 134 House seats, eight congressional seats and a U.S. Senate seat are on this year’s Minnesota ballot. So are a spate of judicial spots and three Minnesota Supreme Court seats, where the sitting justices are expected to run again.
City and school district offices have different filing periods depending on whether there are primaries.
Presidential candidates are added to the ballot through a party-led process set for August.