Paul Wikstrom, the Republican candidate for a special election set to take place in House District 40B later this month, says his latest DFL opponent was “part of the machine that supported a fraudulent candidate.”
That’s a reference to Wikstrom’s former opponent, Curtis Johnson, whose residency issues were well-known rumors circulating the Roseville area almost a year ago, and eventually led to a lawsuit and an order by a district judge preventing Johnson from taking the 40B seat he had won on Nov. 5.
But it’s also a reference to Wikstrom’s new opponent.
Almost one year ago, when David Gottfried was vying for the DFL endorsement to run for the Roseville/Shoreview-area district in the Minnesota House, he was aware of allegations that his opponent, fellow Democrat activist Curtis Johnson, was not a resident of the district.
Gottfried told the Star Tribune that much in late October, one week after Alpha News broke the story that Johnson (who ultimately won the DFL endorsement in April 2024) may not actually be living in the district he was seeking to represent.
Wikstrum went public with those allegations on Oct. 15, then one month later filed a lawsuit following the Nov. 5 election to challenge Johnson’s residency status. On Dec. 20, a Ramsey County judge ruled in Wikstrom’s favor, and Johnson announced his intentions to abide by the order that he not take the oath of office.
Now Gottfried is in the position he had hoped for all along. He’s the DFL candidate running in a special election that was triggered late last month by Judge Leonardo Castro’s ruling that Johnson did not meet residency requirements and could not fill the seat in the state House.
Wikstrom is running again as the Republican candidate for the special election, which (for now, at least) is set to be held on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Early voting begins Jan. 22.
So why didn’t Gottfried bring up Curtis Johnson’s residency issues to his fellow Democrats at the 40B district convention last April?
Gottfried told a Star Tribune reporter just two weeks before the Nov. 5 election that “he was aware of the residency allegations but didn’t bring them up in the endorsement contest because he felt they were untrue.”
“I don’t put a lot of merit in anecdotal evidence,” Gottfried was quoted as saying in the Star Tribune story published on Oct. 25. “To the best of my knowledge, the claim that Curtis doesn’t live in the district is false.”
One week later Gottfried posted a photo of himself on social media door-knocking in support of Johnson’s candidacy.
Alpha News reached out to Gottfried and his campaign chair last week to ask about his admitted prior knowledge that Johnson may not actually be living in the apartment he had leased in Roseville, and was, in fact, continuing to live in his home outside the district in nearby Little Canada. Neither Gottfried nor his campaign chair, Matthew Sullivan, replied to Alpha News’ requests for comment.
Republican acknowledges uphill battle in Democrat-heavy district
Wikstrom said that his second run to represent House District 40B will include a similar campaign message: “confronting fraud to improve public transparency,” which he said has been on display by his former opponent and across several state-run programs in recent years.
Wikstrom believes that Gottfried, who works for a local law firm as a self-described pro bono specialist, hasn’t done enough to distance himself from those in his own party who, Wikstrom says, appeared to cover for Johnson’s residency issues right up until Judge Castro’s Dec. 20 ruling.
“When I look at my opponent, he’s been part of that machine that has supported and covered for a fraudulent candidate,” Wikstrom said. “There are some DFL politicians who have publicly endorsed Curtis Johnson and they are continuing to not be held accountable by the voters. I don’t see David Gottfried making any meaningful statements to distance himself from those folks that endorsed Johnson.”
Wikstrom acknowledges his battle remains uphill to win a seat that has reliably voted for Democrat candidates for several election cycles. But he said he believes his fellow 40B residents who come out to vote are paying more attention to the issues of fraud and transparency than ever before.
“I have a track record of confronting fraud to improve public transparency,” said Wikstrom, who has a lengthy career as an engineer and manager in the aerospace and medical device industries. He’s also a married father of three who has found time to volunteer as a flight instructor for young people who have a passion for aviation.
“Certainly, my name recognition is stronger now than it was when I decided to run for the legislature a year ago,” Wikstrom said. “It’s my hope that voters will recognize the need for more transparency from their elected officials they send to the Minnesota Capitol.”
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.
