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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Rochester City Council will have four new members, two new members were elected to the Rochester School Board and voters re-elected all four incumbents on the ballot for positions on the Olmsted County Board.

The final local results of the 2020 election have Brooke Carlson defeating Kathleen Harrington 51-48 percent to succeed Randy Staver as Rochester City Council President. Longtime Second Ward Council member Michael Wojcik lost to Mark Bransford by a margin of 55-45 percent, while Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick and Molly Dennis easily won their races. Kirkpatrick succeeds Mark Bilderback in Ward 4 and Dennis will take over the 6th Ward seat now held by Annalissa Johnson. Rochester voters also gave their approval to a new dedicated tax levy to fund improvements to the city's parks with 60-percent support.

Rochester School Board member Don Barlow was the only incumbent to win reelection this year. He edged challenger Justin Cook by fewer than 1000 votes. Karen MacLaughlin easily defeated incumbent Debra Seelinger and Mark Schluesner lost by a wide margin to challenger Jess Garcia.

The Olmsted County Board managed to avoid a changing of the guard.
Olmsted County Commissioners Stephanie Podulke, Jim Bier, and Mark Thein all won reelection by large margins, while Gregg Wright ran unopposed.

All of the state legislators representing the Rochester area seeking reelection were successful but some won by very narrow margins. Republican State Senator Dave Senjem defeated Democrat Sara Flick 51-49 percent, Republican Carla Nelson also won reelection to her State Senate seat by the same percentage margin in a race against Democrat Aleta Borrud.

In the races for Rochester State House seats, incumbent Republican Nels Pierson defeated Democrat Randy Brock by just under 350 votes while Democrat Tina Liebling and Republican Duane Quam defeated their challengers by wide margins, and Democrat Liz Bolden was chosen by voters to succeed Democrat Duane Sauke.

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