Sen. Andrew Lang on way to third term in Minnesota Senate

Tom Cherveny, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·2 min read

Nov. 9—WILLMAR — Incumbent Sen. Andrew Lang, R-Olivia, was re-elected in the new Senate District 16.

Lang received 69.7% of the vote to defeat DFL challenger Fernando Alvarado, of Willmar, with 30.3% of the vote with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial tallies reported by the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office.

This is a rematch for Lang and Alvarado, who were opponents for the state Senate District 17 seat in 2020. Senate terms are four years except when redistricting occurs, as it did this year.

Redistricting changed the district number to 16, but the geography remains much the same: It includes Kandiyohi, Renville and Chippewa counties with the addition of the western portion of Meeker County.

Lang rode a Republican wave along with Rep. Dave Baker in turning this district Republican in 2014 when he defeated longtime legislator Lyle Koenen for the state Senate seat, and Baker defeated DFL'er Mary Sawatzky for the state House seat.

District 16 remains strongly in the Republican camp, as Lang's lead over Alvarado matches the two-to-one advantage he won in their previous matchup.

Lang and Alvarado are both military veterans, and had emphasized their willingness to work across the aisle in a campaign forum hosted Oct. 11 by the League of Women Voters of the Willmar Area.

At the forum, Lang said his priorities were tax reduction, including ending Minnesota's income tax on social security, building our infrastructure, and supporting local government aid and county program aid to lessen property taxes.

Alvarado said his top three priorities were completing the work of the last session, where $4.5 billion in available funds were not committed, as well as supporting funding for education and defending women's right to health care choices.

Lang is a helicopter pilot with the Minnesota Army National Guard and works as an air ambulance helicopter pilot for North Memorial Care. He serves as chair of the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee in the state Senate, and serves on the Agriculture Finance, Agriculture Policy, Environment Policy and Legacy, Environment Finance, and Transportation Policy and Finance committees.

He and his wife, Susie, and their two boys live in Olivia.

Alvarado served in the U.S. Navy for four years and moved to Willmar in 1986. He made his career with Auto-Owners Insurance Company and served on the Willmar City Council as well as the boards of nonprofit civic organizations.

He and his wife, Cindy, are parents to two grown daughters.