Republican Rep. Perryman announces re-election bid, raises record funds in district
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CENTRAL MINNESOTA — Republican State Rep. Bernie Perryman announced Wednesday she will seek re-election in November.
The first-term legislator and businesswoman representing District 14A — which includes St. Cloud, St. Augusta, Waite Park, and St. Joseph areas— announced having over $85,000 cash on hand, and raising over $70,000 in 2023. According to a Wednesday press release, this is the most fundraised for the district in an odd year ever.
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Elected in 2022, Perryman served on numerous committees over the course of her first term: Commerce, Economic Development, and Health.
Perryman owns two Batteries Plus stores in St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids and was previously the CEO of C and L Distributing in Sauk Rapids. She currently lives in St. Augusta.
"Minnesotans have a chance in 2024 to bring balance back to St. Paul instead of the expensive and irresponsible single-party control we've seen over the last year," Perryman said in the press release. "Electing a Republican Majority will help us deliver more affordability for families, support for law enforcement, and a government that respects the tax dollars of families and businesses."
In 2022, Perryman beat Democratic opponent Tami Calhoun by less than two percentage points.
Calhoun announced her bid for the seat last December. She has not released her fundraising numbers.
The seat was left open in 2022 after five-term incumbent Republican Rep. Tama Theis did not seek re-election.
— Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA Today. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com or on X @woodyreports.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Republican State Rep. Perryman's re-election campaign raises big
