Incumbent Doug Houge and challenger Michael Starry will face off in the Nov. 3 general election for the District 5 Crow Wing County commissioner seat.
District 5 includes the northeastern portion of the county, including the cities of Fifty Lakes, Manhattan Beach, Emily, Crosby, Cuyuna, Deerwood, Ironton, Riverton and Trommald, as well as Little Pine, Fairfield, Ross Lake, Perry Lake and Wolford townships, along with townships farther south.
Primary election vote totals Aug. 11 were: Houge, of Crosby, 1,154 votes (46.68%); Starry, of Ironton, 780 votes (31.55%); and Tom Nixon, of Deerwood, 538 votes (21.76%).
Nixon told the Brainerd Dispatch he planned to undertake a write-in campaign for the general election.
Following is a breakdown by precinct in the northern part of District 5:
ADVERTISEMENT
Fifty Lakes: Starry, 32 votes; Houge, 22; Nixon, 9.
Manhattan Beach: Starry, 4 votes; Hogue, 9; Nixon, 0.
Emily: Starry, 73 votes; Houge, 30; Nixon, 17.
Little Pine Township: Starry, 18 votes; Houge, 9; Nixon, 0.
Fairfield Township: Starry, 46 votes; Houge, 28; Nixon, 14.
Ross Lake Township: Starry, 25 votes; Hogue, 34; Nixon, 7.
Perry Lake Township: Starry, 37 votes; Houge, 25; Nixon, 11.
Wolford Township: Starry, 41 votes; Hogue, 63; Nixon, 20.
Two area state senators handily won their primary races.
District 9: Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, garnered 5,822 votes (83.49%) to Republican challenger Richard Dahl’s 1,151 votes (16.51%). Gazelka will face DFL challenger A. John Peters, Browerville, in the general election.
State Senate District 9 includes parts of Cass, Wadena, Todd and Morrison counties.
District 10: State Sen. Carrie Ruud, R-Breezy Point, earned 5,558 votes (82.50%) to Republican challenger Shaun Christian Hansen’s 1,179 votes (17.50%). Ruud will face DFL challenger Steve Samuelson, Brainerd, Nov. 3.
State Senate District 10 includes Crow Wing and Aitkin counties.
