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Some of the precinct-specific primary balloting results illustrate a not- terribly-overwhelming mandate for candidates laying down a  challenge for their name to be on the GOP side of the ballot in November.  

There were 17 precincts within Minnesota House District 28A casting ballots for their choice of either Brian Johnson or Jimmy Gordon, both vying to represent the Republican ticket.  

This district is situated mostly west of Chisago County,  but includes Harris and surrounding area.  Gordon received the local party endorsement but Johnson is the incumbent state representative for this region in St. Paul, and he wished to run again.  

Of these 17 precincts Johnson did not win in any single precinct, but he tallied 1,320 votes to Gordon’s 2,561.  The North Branch West precinct (there are three precincts in North Branch) voted 132 for Johnson and 189 for Gordon. 

In the Republican battle for the chance to run against U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Royce White was campaigning against Joe Fraser. 

White took more votes than Fraser did in all 23 of Chisago County’s precincts.  He ended up with 74,640 total but Joe Fraser got 56,633 total.  Again a collectively divided vote in one party, indicating work needs to be done.

White looked quite strong locally, for example, in the city of Harris taking half the votes cast; although out of 771 registered voters, only about 83 people participated in that primary.

Rush City also saw a low vote turnout for the primary as White pulled in 29 votes yet it still amounted to 50 percent of what was counted.

Pete Stauber was on the primary ballot against Harry Welty looking to secure a spot on the GOP ticket for November, and Stauber got 36,704 votes or about 10 for each vote cast for Welty.  But, Democrat candidate Jen Schultz came in with 31,945 in her primary contest against John Munter (3,175). With this primary tally— even if she collected all the voters who went for Munter— she would theoretically lose to the incumbent Republican.

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