In one of the closest races this year Republican Jerry Relph beat out his DFL opponent Dan Wolgamott by just 142 votes. He will represent the St. Cloud area in the Senate for the next four years.
Incumbent Republican Sen. John Pederson is retiring after two terms, having won re-election in 2012 with a 52-47 margin. Ralph’s victory keeps this seat in the hands of the GOP, as he won by just 0.38 percent of the vote. Libertarian Party candidate Steven Zillberg took 5.47 percent, leaving the two major party candidates slightly over 47 percent.
Relph has a B.A. in Philosophy from Carleton College, as well as a Law degree from William Mitchell College of Law. He served in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Marines Corps. He has worked in law, and owned a small business.
Wolgamott is a realtor and high school football coach. He is a graduate of St. John’s University and a Sunday school teacher.
