Wayne Johnson bested Grayson McNew in a hard-fought Republican primary for House District 41A Tuesday night. It was one of 22 state house primaries that took place across Minnesota, a handful of which are being watched closely by DFL and GOP operatives as they pivot to the general election on Nov. 5.
With all precincts reporting, Johnson had earned 1,101 votes to McNew’s 956. Johnson, a recently retired Washington County Board member, will face DFL activist Lucia Wroblewski in the Nov. 5 general election. Considered a swing district, 41A spans Cottage Grove, Lake Elmo and several surrounding St. Croix River communities.
“Republicans cannot take this seat for granted,” Johnson told Alpha News earlier this summer, explaining why he chose to press forward in a Republican primary battle even after McNew, of Afton, won the GOP endorsement this spring.
The open seat is up grabs as first-term legislator Mark Wiens announced earlier this year he’s foregoing another term in the House to run for Washington County Board.
Leading up to the March district convention, Wiens publicly supported Johnson. But McNew won the support of district delegates and the GOP endorsement on the first ballot.
Wiens had won his seat by just 121 votes in 2022. Gov. Tim Walz carried that same district by a margin of five points (over GOP nominee Scott Jensen) in his re-election bid that fall.
The DFL challenger, Wroblewski, is a retired police officer and Afton City Council member who has been active in east metro left-wing circles.
Both Johnson and McNew said during the primary race that Wroblewski’s political views are too extreme for the district.
Here’s a handful of other interesting legislative primary outcomes that will help shape the makeup of the House and Senate in January.
Upset in District 28A (Cambridge-Isanti)
One of the biggest surprises of the night came in District 28A, where six-term incumbent Republican Brian Johnson was upset by challenger Jimmy Gordon by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. While Gordon, the current mayor of Isanti, won the Republican endorsement for the seat in March, Johnson, a retired police officer, has represented the north metro district since 2012. It’s more than likely Gordon will win a seat in the House this fall as 28A went +37 for Johnson in the 2022 general election.
Riverboat operator versus DFL operative in District 26A (Winona)
The field is set for the general election for an open seat in District 26A as DFL operative Sarah Kruger and Republican riverboat operator Aaron Repinski advanced in their respective primaries. They are vying to replace longtime DFL Rep. Gene Pelowski, who retires in December after 38 years in the legislature.
Kruger and Repinski will face off in a southeast Minnesota district that was +5 for Tim Walz in 2022, but was represented by the pro-life Pelowski, long regarded as one of the more moderate Democrats in the legislature.
Senate District 45 (Lake Minnetonka area)
Former state senator Ann Johnson Stewart won the SD45 DFL special election primary over newcomer Emily Reitan. Johnson Stewart will face Republican Kathleen Fowke for the open seat special election in November. The DFL and GOP each have 33 Senate seats after Kelly Morrison resigned in June. The winner of this race will likely determine which party controls the Senate heading into the 2025 legislative session.
District 10A
Six-term incumbent legislator Ron Kresha held off a strong challenge in the GOP primary for District 10A. He defeated Diane Webb-Skillings by 35 votes with all precincts reported in the Republican-heavy district that spans Little Falls to the west and the shores of Mille Lacs Lake.
District 26B
Sixteen-term incumbent Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, defeated challenger Gary Steuart by 5 points in District 26B. The southeastern Minnesota district was +17 for Jensen in 2022.
District 61A (Minneapolis)
A three-way DFL primary in one of the most heavily DFL districts in the state saw Katie Jones defeat Isabel Rolfes and Will Stancil. That all but assures Jones will replace 11-term incumbent Rep. Frank Hornstein in a south Minneapolis state House seat that went +76 for Walz in 2022. Hornstein endorsed Jones in the race.
District 7B (Iron Range)
Republican-endorsed Cal Warwas cruised to a comfortable victory against perennial political candidate Matt Matasich in the GOP primary for House District 7B. The seat is open after third-term DFL Rep. Dave Lislegard announced this summer that he won’t seek a fourth term. Warwas will face DFLer Lorrie Janatopoulos in November in a district that Walz won by less than a percentage point in 2022.
District 19B (Waseca)
Republican-endorsed Tom Sexton won his primary in District 19B against Mick Ditlevson by a 2-to-1 margin. Sexton will now compete for an open seat that represents Waseca after six-term legislator John Petersburg announced his retirement earlier this year. The now open seat went for Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen by 17 points in 2022.
District 36B
First-term incumbent Rep. Brion Curran, DFL-Vadnais Heights, held off District 36B primary opponent T.J. Malaskee with a 25-point margin of victory.
Curran was arrested last fall for DWI and pleaded guilty to the charge in January. The district was +17 for Walz in 2022. Republican challenger Patty Bradway, a registered nurse, will look to play spoiler in the general election.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
