Starting Friday, April 12, residents of Hennepin County District 6 can begin casting absentee ballots for the special election primary on Tuesday, April 30, to fill the vacant county commissioner seat.
Six candidates, all from Edina, are running for the District 6 seat. The candidates are state Rep. Heather Edelson (DFL-50A, Edina), political consultant Patrick Gage, Normandale Community College director of procurement Janet Kitui, nonprofit leader Daniel Moret, businesswoman Marisa Simonetti, and Hopkins School Board member Jen Westmoreland.
With more than two candidates running, a primary will be held on April 30. The top two vote-getters will advance to the special election on Tuesday, May 14.
The six northern Eden Prairie precincts colored in purple above fall within District 6. Source: City of Eden Prairie
District 6 encompasses 66 precincts, with six (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8) located in northern Eden Prairie. The remaining 14 Eden Prairie precincts fall within District 5’s jurisdiction. (Here are where Eden Prairie’s 20 precincts are located.)
To locate your specific polling place, Eden Prairie City Clerk David Teigland recommends visiting the Secretary of State’s website.
“Residents can enter their address, and it will tell them not just their polling place and all the districts they live in, but the next election in which they can vote,” Teigland said.
The special election follows Chris LaTondresse’s resignation last September when he left to become CEO of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative in St. Paul. The winner will complete LaTondresse’s term through 2024.
Commissioner District 6 spans 66 precincts, from Mound in the west to Edina in the east. Northern Eden Prairie, although not depicted on the map, is also within the district. Source: Hennepin County.
The District 6 seat will be up for election again in November for a full four-year term. Prospective candidates for the term beginning January 2025 must file between May 21 and June 4, a period also applicable to candidates for other offices that may require a primary election.