ST. PAUL, Minn. – With almost two-thirds of the votes tallied, Republicans Jeremy Munson and Brad Finstad were neck and neck in a special primary election for a place on the August ballot for election to the U.S. House from southern Minnesota. Only one can make the August ballot. Among Republicans, Jeff Ettinger was the leader. The primary ballot listed 20 candidates from four political parties. The leading candidates from each party will be on the August ballot. These were the leaders with 63% of the ballots counted:
> Jeremy Munson, of Lake Crystal, a Republican, 9,372 votes.
> Brad Finstad, of New Ulm, also a Republican, 9,336.
> Jeff Ettinger, of Austin, a Democrat, 7,936.
> Richard Reisdorf, of Mankato, Legal Marijuana Now, 275.
> Haroun McClellan, of Rochester, Grassroots – Legalize Cannabis, 154.
Voters, regardless of party preference, each could vote for any one of the 20 candidates. Only the leader in each party goes onto the next step in the process to fill the MN-1 seat vacant since February when incumbent Jim Hagedorn died.