3rd candidate files for Mankato mayor

Mark Fischenich, The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
·4 min read

May 28—MANKATO — It's now a three-way race for Mankato mayor, meaning a primary election will be required to narrow the field. And the first candidate has stepped up in Mankato's City Council Ward 3.

In Blue Earth County, a second retired county official has decided to run for County Board. This time, retired Taxpayer Services Director Patty O'Connor is running in commissioner District 1, which was left vacant by the resignation of Colleen Landkamer.

And candidates are now in place for all area state legislative seats, although more will have to step up in some districts if all voters are going to have a choice in the Nov. 8 general election.

Time is quickly running out for candidates looking to seek elective office. People considering a run for Mankato City Council, county elected offices or state and federal contests have just three more days to contemplate the decision and one more day to file.

The deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. But considering that Monday is a holiday, there's only a single business day left to sign up. (For many cities in Minnesota that don't hold primary elections, the filing period won't come until later in the summer).

Mankato

John Martin West, who lives on Broad Street, became the second person to challenge first-term Mayor Najwa Massad. Toby Leonard, who made an unsuccessful run for mayor in 2018, filed earlier in the two-week filing period. With three candidates now in the race, voters in the Aug. 9 will decide which two advance to the general election.

Kevin Mettler, who lives on Pohl Road, filed Friday for City Council in Ward 3. The ward, which had no incumbent council member when new lines were drawn this spring as part of the redistricting process, is in the central hilltop area of Mankato.

Ward 3 generally is north of Stadium Road, south of Glenwood Avenue, east of Highland/Val Imm and west of Pohl Road (although it extends as far east as Victory Drive for the neighborhood north of Balcerzak Drive).

Blue Earth County

O'Connor was the only recent addition in Blue Earth County's list of candidates. First hired to work the license center counter in 1977, O'Connor spent 38 years with the county before retiring in 2015 as director of taxpayer services, which included oversight of elections, the license bureau, property records and more.

Earlier, 27-year County Attorney Ross Arneson, who retired in 2014, filed for County Board in District 3 against incumbent Commissioner Mark Piepho. That's the only one of the five districts in Blue Earth County with more than one candidate.

Nicollet County

Two more Nicollet County Board races became competitive this week.

Darrell Pettis, who lives on Bonnie Lane on St. Peter's west side, joined incumbent Commissioner Marie Drantell of rural St. Peter in seeking the District 1 seat.

In District 5, Kurt Zins of rural Nicollet is running against Commissioner John Luepke of rural Courtland.

Three of the five Nicollet County Board seats are now contested races.

Legislature

Sen. John Jasinski, R-Faribault, has filed for another term for Senate District 19, which includes the city of Waseca. No Democrat has yet filed for the seat.

Larvita McFarquhar, R-Lynd, is making a primary challenge against Republican Sen. Gary Dahms of Redwood Falls in Senate District 15. Dahms was without a DFL challenger in 2020, and no Democrat has stepped up so far this year in District 15, which includes Brown County and stretches into the northwest corner of Blue Earth County.

In area state House seats, a second candidate stepped up in three Mankato area districts this week.

Bjorn Olson, R-Fairmont, is running against Marisa Ulmen, DFL-Madelia, in District 22A, which includes southern Blue Earth County, eastern Watonwan County, most of Martin County and western Faribault County. Lake Crystal, the home of state Rep. Jeremy Munson, is in the district, but Munson indicated this week that he would be sitting out the general election after losing the special primary election for the 1st District congressional seat to Brad Finstad.

In District 19B, which includes Waseca, Democrat Abdulahi Ali Osman of Owatonna is running against Republican Rep. John Petersburg of Waseca.

And in District 22B, Rep. Brian Pfarr, R-Le Sueur, filed for a second term. He is being challenged by previously announced DFL candidate Marcia Stapleton of Kasota.

Veteran Rep. Paul Torkelson, R-Lake Hanska, filed for another term this week in District 15B. Torkelson does not yet have DFL opponent.