2019 Minnesota Senate District 11 special election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2019 District 11 special election
| country = Minnesota
| flag_image = File:Flag of Minnesota (1983-2024).svg
| type = by-election
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2016 Minnesota Senate election
| previous_year = 2016
| election_date = {{Start date|2019|02|05}}
| next_election = 2020 Minnesota Senate election
| next_year = 2020
| seats_for_election = Minnesota Senate District 11
| image1 = Minnesota State Senator Jason Rarick.jpg
| nominee1 = Jason Rarick
| party1 = Republican Party of Minnesota
| popular_vote1 = 8,127
| percentage1 = 52.02%
| image2 = Stu Lourey.jpg
| nominee2 = Stu Lourey
| party2 = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
| popular_vote2 = 7,171
| percentage2 = 45.90%
| map_image = Senate11 2019.svg
| map_size = 200px
| map_caption = Precinct Results
Rarick:
{{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}}
{{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}}
{{legend0|#d72f30|70–80%}}
{{legend0|#c21b18|80–90%}}
{{legend0|#a80000|90–100%}}
Lourey:
{{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}}
{{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}}
{{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}}
{{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}}
{{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}}
{{legend0|#0d0596|{{nowrap|90–100%}}}}
| title = Senator
| before_election = Tony Lourey
| before_party = Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
| after_election = Jason Rarick
| after_party = Republican Party of Minnesota
}}
A special election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on February 5, 2019, to elect a new senator for District 11 in the Minnesota Senate, caused by the resignation of Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) Senator Tony Lourey effective on January 3, 2019, to be appointed as commissioner of human services in Governor Tim Walz's cabinet. A primary election was held on January 22, 2019, to nominate a DFL candidate. Jason Rarick, the Republican nominee, won the special election. Rarick's win caused a special election for the seat he held in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Background
[[File:MNSenate11 2016.svg|thumb|180px|Results by Precinct in 2016:
{{collapsible list
| title = Lourey
| {{legend0|#7996e2|50-60%}}
| {{legend0|#6674de|60-70%}}
| {{legend0|#584cde|70-80%}}
| {{legend0|#3933e5|80-90%}}
| {{legend0|#0d0596|90-100%}}
}}
{{collapsible list
| title = Cummins
| {{legend0|#e27f7f|50-60%}}
| {{legend0|#d75d5d|60-70%}}
| {{legend0|#c21b18|80-90%}}
}}
{{collapsible list
| title = No Vote
| {{legend0|#b3b3b3}}
}}
|alt=]]
District 11 includes all of Carlton and Pine counties, the eastern half of Kanabec County, and a small part of southern St. Louis County in east-central Minnesota. Lourey first represented the area when it was District 8 after winning election in 2006, succeeding his mother, Becky Lourey, who did not seek re-election. In the last election in 2016, Lourey won with 55 percent of the vote.
Candidates
The candidate filing period was from January 4 to January 8, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/elections-calendar/senate-district-11-special-election/|title=Senate District 11 Special Election|publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State|access-date=January 3, 2019|archive-date=January 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104021519/https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/elections-calendar/senate-district-11-special-election/|url-status=dead}}
=Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party=
The Senate District 11 DFL held a convention to endorse a candidate in Barnum on January 19, 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/government-and-politics/4554068-candidates-crowd-senate-district-11-race|title=Candidates crowd Senate District 11 race|last=Malcomb|first=Jamey|date=January 8, 2019|work=Duluth News Tribune|access-date=January 9, 2019}} Michelle Lee won the endorsement over Stu Lourey.{{Cite news|url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/government-and-politics/4559467-michelle-lee-wins-dfl-endorsement-senate-district-11-race|title=Michelle Lee wins DFL endorsement in Senate District 11 race|date=January 19, 2019|work=Duluth News Tribune|access-date=January 19, 2019}} Lourey conceded the endorsement after Lee received just one vote less than the 60 percent of votes needed to win outright out of more than 150 delegates.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/01/19/lee-wins-dfl-endorsement-special-election-state-senate-seat|title=Lee wins DFL endorsement in special election for state Senate seat|last=Krueger|first=Andrew|date=January 19, 2019|access-date=January 20, 2019|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio}} Lourey said after the convention he would continue to campaign for the DFL nomination in the primary election.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wdio.com/politics/michelle-lee-wins-dfl-endorsement-/5216047/|title=Michelle Lee Takes DFL Endorsement in Senate District 11 Race|date=January 19, 2019|access-date=January 19, 2019|publisher=WDIO-TV}}
==Declared==
- Michelle Lee, former Duluth area television news anchor; candidate for Minnesota's 8th congressional district in 2018
- Stu Lourey, legislative aide for U.S. Senators Al Franken and Tina Smith; son of Tony Lourey
=Republican Party of Minnesota=
District 11 Republican delegates held a convention to endorse a candidate in Hinckley on January 8, 2019. District 11B Representative Jason Rarick won the endorsement over deputy chair of the Eighth Congressional District Republicans Justin Krych. Mayor of Pine City Carl Pederson and Mathias Shir did not receive any votes. All candidates who were not endorsed agreed to withdraw their candidacies.{{Cite news|url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/government-and-politics/4554301-no-primary-gop-rarick-wins-endorsement|title=No primary for GOP as Rarick wins endorsement|last=Slater|first=Brady|date=January 9, 2019|work=Duluth News Tribune|access-date=January 9, 2019}}
==Declared==
- Jason Rarick, member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for District 11B since 2015
== Withdrawn ==
- Justin Krych, deputy chair of the Eighth Congressional District Republicans; candidate for Minnesota Senate District 7 in 2002
- Carl Pederson, mayor of Pine City since 2015
- Matthias Shir, electrical engineer
=Legal Marijuana Now Party=
- John Birrenbach, business and marketing consultant; Independent Grassroots Party candidate for U.S. president in 1996; Independence Party candidate for Minnesota House of Representatives District 65B in 2000
Primary election
=Results=
[[File:MNSenate11 DFL2018.svg|thumb|180px|Results by county:
{{collapsible list
| title = Lourey
|{{legend|#ff7f2a|50-60%}}
|{{legend|#ff6600|60–70%}}
|{{legend|#d45500|70-80%}}
|{{legend|#aa4400|80-90%}}
|{{legend|#803300|90-100%}}
}}
{{collapsible list
| title = Tie
|{{legend|#cdafdc|50%}}
}}
{{collapsible list
| title = Lee
|{{legend|#5fd3bc|50-60%}}
|{{legend|#37c8ab|60-70%}}
|{{legend|#2ca089|70-80%}}
|{{legend|#217867|80-90%}}
|{{legend|#165044|90-100%}}
}}
{{collapsible list
| title = No Vote
|{{legend|#b3b3b3}}
}}
]]
| class="wikitable"
|+ ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:{{party color|Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party}}" |
| rowspan="2" |Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |Stu Lourey | align="right" |1,932 | align="right" |53.21 |
| Michelle Lee
| align="right" |1,699 | align="right" |46.79 |
| colspan="2" |Subtotal
| align="right" |3,631 | align="right" |100.00 |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party of Minnesota}}" |
|Republican Party of Minnesota | align="right" |689 | align="right" |100.00 |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Legal Marijuana Now Party}}" |
| align="right" |69 | align="right" |100.00 |
| colspan="3" |Total
| align="right" |4,389 | align="right" |100.00 |
| colspan="3" |Invalid/blank votes
| align="right" |235 | align="right" |5.08 |
| colspan="3" |Turnout (out of 45,985 registered voters){{Cite web|url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/Results/CountyStatistics/118|title=Statewide Reporting Statistics|access-date=January 23, 2019|publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State}}
| align="right" |4,624 | align="right" |10.06 |
| colspan="5" |Source: Minnesota Secretary of State{{cite web |title=Results for State Senator District 11 |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/Results/StateSenate/118?districtid=499 |publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State |accessdate=January 23, 2019}} |
= Late ballots =
Prior to the primary election, some voters voting by mail expressed concerns they would not receive their ballots or their ballots would not arrive in time to be counted. Carlton County's auditor said the short time frame of the special election and supply shortages made it difficult to promptly mail ballots.{{Cite news|url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/government-and-politics/4558961-rural-ballot-controversy-surfaces-special-election|title=Rural ballot controversy surfaces in special election|last=Slater|first=Brady|date=January 18, 2019|work=Duluth News Tribune|access-date=January 19, 2019}} Minnesota law requires, when a vacancy occurs while the Legislature is in session, that the governor issue a writ within five days of a vacancy occurring for a special election to be held within 35 days after the writ is issued.{{Cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/204D.19#stat.204D.19.2|title=Minnesota Statutes 2018, section, 204D.19, subdivision 2|publisher=Office of the Revisor of Statutes|access-date=February 5, 2019}} If a primary election is required, it must be held within 14 days before the special election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/204D.21#stat.204D.21.3|title=Minnesota Statutes 2018, section, 204D.21, subdivision 3|publisher=Office of the Revisor of Statutes|access-date=February 5, 2019}}
Several hundred mail-in ballots did not arrive in time to be counted. In Carlton County, which had approximately 2,300 registered voters in mail-only precincts, 250 ballots arrived three days after the primary election and a further 12 three days later. In Pine County, which had 752 registered voters in mail-only precincts, a total of 43 ballots had arrived late as of three days after the primary election. Carlton County's auditor predicted as many as 400 ballots would arrive late.{{Cite news|url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/government-and-politics/4563285-election-officials-hundreds-votes-went-uncounted-senate|title=Election officials: Hundreds of votes went uncounted in Senate District 11 primary|last=Slater|first=Brady|date=January 28, 2019|work=Duluth News Tribune|access-date=February 3, 2019}} Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said he would ask the Legislature to increase the time frame for holding future special elections given the number of late ballots.{{Cite news|url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/government-and-politics/4563865-minnesotas-top-election-official-voters-may-be-disenfranchised|title=Minnesota's top election official: 'Voters may be disenfranchised'|last=Slater|first=Brady|date=January 29, 2019|work=Duluth News Tribune|access-date=February 3, 2019}}
Results
| class="wikitable"
|+ ! colspan="2" |Party !Candidate !Votes !% !+/− |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party of Minnesota}}" |
|Republican Party of Minnesota |style="font-weight:bold" align="right" |8,127 |style="font-weight:bold" align="right" |52.02 |style="font-weight:bold" align="right" | +6.66 |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party}}" |
|Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |Stu Lourey |align="right" |7,171 |align="right" |45.90 |align="right" |–8.60 |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Legal Marijuana Now Party}}" |
|align="right" |298 |align="right" |1.91 |align="right" | +1.91 |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Write-in candidate}}" |
| colspan="2" |Write-ins |align="right" |27 |align="right" |0.17 |align="right" | +0.03 |
| colspan="3" |Total
|style="font-weight:bold" align="right" |15,623 |style="font-weight:bold" align="right" |100.00 |style="font-weight:bold" align="right" |±0.00 |
| colspan="3" |Invalid/blank votes
|align="right" |25 |align="right" |0.16 |align="right" |–4.23 |
| colspan="3" |Turnout (out of 44,876 registered voters){{Cite web|url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/Results/CountyStatistics/119|title=Statewide Reporting Statistics|publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State|access-date=February 6, 2019}}
|align="right" |15,648 |align="right" |34.87 |align="right" |–46.86 |
| colspan="6" |Source: Minnesota Secretary of State{{cite web |title=Results for State Senator District 11 |url=https://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/Results/StateSenate/119?districtid=499 |publisher=Minnesota Secretary of State |accessdate=February 5, 2019}} |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/ Elections & Voting - Minnesota Secretary of State]
- [https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/elections-calendar/senate-district-11-special-election/ District 11 special election - Minnesota Secretary of State] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104021519/https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/elections-calendar/senate-district-11-special-election/ |date=2019-01-04 }}
Official campaign websites
- [https://www.michellelee.org/ Michelle Lee (DFL) for State Senate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215222745/https://www.michellelee.org/ |date=2018-12-15 }}
- [https://www.stulourey.com/ Stu Lourey (DFL) for State Senate]
- [https://www.jasonrarick.com/ Jason Rarick (R) for State Senate]
{{Special elections to the 91st Minnesota Legislature}}
{{Minnesota elections}}
Minnesota Senate District 11 special election