Primary for House seat 19B is set for Tuesday
Steele County voters will head to the polls Tuesday to decide who will be the Republican candidate for House seat 19B, which represents the northern two-thirds of the county.
But the election also has an opponent: The Steele County Free Fair opens that day at 5 p.m.
That should leave plenty of time for residents who cast a ballot to choose between Tom Sexton, of Waseca, and Mick Ditlevson, of Owatonna.
The two are vying for the seat formerly held by John Petersburg, R-Waseca.
The district also includes two townships in Waseca County and the city of Waseca.
Following Petersburg’s retirement announcement, five candidates expressed interest in the seat – four of them Republicans.
Sexton, the last to announce his candidacy, won the nomination at the Republican endorsing convention in April. Three weeks later, Ditlevson, the first candidate to come forward, announced his intent to challenge.
Sexton’s campaign website describes him as a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, senior leader educator, and retired major construction project vice-president. He cites his “global experience as a combat special operations helicopter pilot and combat rescue squadron commander” as a reflection of his “steadfast commitment to our nation and our state.”
His priorities, Sexton said, are “fiscal responsibility and economic growth for Southern Minnesota.”
Ditlevson earned a degree in economics at Pepperdine University, which led to a job in Washington, D.C., working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Dept. of Energy. He has since returned to Minnesota and is a fifth-generation farmer with a grain operation in rural Steele County, as well as a licensed real estate agent.
In addition to environmental and energy issues, Ditlevson said he will focus on economic growth and a balanced budget for the state.
DFLer Edelgard “Edel” Fernandez Mejia, an immigrant from Central Mexico and director of admissions for South Central College, will face off against the winner of Tuesday’s GOP primary.
The general election is Nov. 5.
