Duluth 2009 Primary Election Results

Paul Lundgren Sep 15, 2009 21 Comments

IVoted3489

41 of 41 precincts counted; 11,691 total ballots cast.

Duluth Fourth District City Councilor
Top two candidates advance
Kerry Gauthier – 1,006 | 44%
Gordon Grant – 565 | 25%
Heath Hickok – 472 | 21%
Matt Potter – 135 | 6%
Celia Scheer – 110 | 4%

Duluth At-large City Councilor
Top four candidates advance
Beth Olson – 5,429 | 26%
Dan Hartman – 4,749 | 23%
James Stauber – 4,464 | 21%
Becky Hall – 3,743 | 18%
Mike Akervik – 2,629 | 12%

Duluth District One School Board
Top two candidates advance
Ann Wasson – 1,394 | 50%
Marcia Stromgren – 1,016 | 36%
Gary Glass – 396 | 14%

Duluth At-large School Board
Top four candidates advance
Tom Kasper – 6,668 | 33%
Mary Cameron – 4,729 | 24%
Nancy Nilsen – 4,164 | 21%
Maureen Booth – 2,409 | 12%
Bryan Jensen – 1,965 | 10%

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21 Comments

purple

about 16 years ago 

I'm district 4, and I'm pretty sure I only had the "AT-LARGE" School Board candidates on my ballot. Maybe I missed something....Or maybe because the top two advance, and there are only two, there was no need of a vote in the primaries.

Paul Lundgren

about 16 years ago 

You must have missed it, Purple. You should have had an opportunity to vote for Dist. 4 City Council. There were five candidates.

adam

about 16 years ago 

Which ones are committed to Duluth Skateboarders GTFO?

Paul Lundgren

about 16 years ago 

I'd have to say the biggest surprise is Tom Kasper. Who would have thought he'd be the top vote getter in the at-large school board race?

Paul Lundgren

about 16 years ago 

To answer Adam's question, incumbent Jim Stauber is the only city councilor who voted in favor of the Canal Park skateboarding ban who is up for, and running for, re-election.

Councilor Eckenberg is not running for the seat he was appointed to, replacing Roger Reinert, so that's one less anti-skateboard vote on the council.

Councilors Anderson, Cuneo, Gardner and Krause remain. They are not up for re-election until 2011.

Tony Ramone

about 16 years ago 

It looks like being Sarah Palin's biggest fan in Duluth didn't really work out that well for Becky Hall.

Paul Lundgren

about 16 years ago 

But raising over $8,000 each worked out well for the DFL darlings.

Tony Ramone

about 16 years ago 

Hall raised nearly $7K as of 8/30, and she had spent $4251. Hall has name recognition, she has ran how many campaigns now? Hall not doing so well tonight can't be blamed solely on a lack of funding.

wormbreeder

about 16 years ago 

If Becky Hall doesn't make it in the general election, she can always run for dog catcher next fall. She has run for almost every other public office in the region.

Paul Lundgren

about 16 years ago 

Now, now. Becky Hall is not exactly "Diesel" Davy Jones. I think she's only lost two races.

Calk

about 16 years ago 

What a Perfect Duluth Day! I think if the wingers spent less time trashing people they hate on local blogs and more time making the case (in a positive way) for their candidates, they wouldn't have gone down in flames last night! I hope Olson, Hartman, and Gauthier keep up the momentum and roll to a rousing victory in November.

Bret

about 16 years ago 

Why no news in the DNT about District 2?

Paul Lundgren

about 16 years ago 

Pardon me for getting caught up in "Diesel" Dave nostalgia, but do any of you remember his amazing responses to News Tribune voter guide questionnaires? 

In 1997 he ran for an at-large city council seat and was asked, "Does the city provide enough activities for young people?"

His response was, and I do quote, sloppy grammar and all: "City does not belong in the child care business parents do. If you have a little bastard, it is not the taxpayers' of the city of Duluth problem to raise your child. Go get a husband and quit your job and be a mother to your child."

Classic.

Calk

about 16 years ago 

@Bret: No primary in 2, as it's only Patrick Boyle and Rob Wagner, mano a mano. Speaking of money and races, Paul and others, you can't buy your way into a city council seat here. If you look at the campaign finance reports, Olson, Hartman, and Gauthier (and Boyle too) had a lot of small contributions, as well as donations from various PACs. But they used a lot of their money to buy campaign materials, which they and an army of volunteers dropped at homes all over the city. If you look at Becky Hall's campaign finance report, she got some serious big bucks from a few donors -- but she spent a lot on that sticker you saw if you still subscribe to the DNT on the front of your paper Sunday. I don't think she had an army of volunteers who believe in her combing the entire city like Olson and Hartman did. All I saw from her were ads. And people who are actively campaigning, knocking on doors, talking to people, are what makes the difference between a winner and a loser in these races.

doubledutch

about 16 years ago 

paul, you're my favorite duluth historian.

i almost forgot to vote, if you can believe that, so i want to thank the big white church on east superior street for reminding me.  then, because brian didn't want to vote and i didn't want to bring both kids in by myself (or one kid while the other one cried in the car), i told my kids it was just a practice election and they could come in with me for the real one in november.  shameful, i know.  but they were happy with their obama stickers, as they called them.

Tony D.

about 16 years ago 

Paul:

In grad school I lived across the street from Davy. Every Sunday my neighbors raced to move their cars to the other side of the street before Davy moved his FIVE vehicles. Within two hours after one neighbor had a loud "discussion" with Davy over the issue, her front picture window was cracked by two pellets (good thing he didn't have anything more powerful).

I'm not surprised by Tom K's success in the primary. He is a highly likeable fellow with a reputation for positive involvement with his community and does have some name recognition from his role as Duluth's City gardener (or whatever they've changed his title to). And he got out there and campaigned....

Smokin' Joe

about 16 years ago 

Just one thing to say... GTFO Stauber!! Don't let the door hit you on the way out. I like that he voted to let the Nor Shore Experience keep it's liquor license but hate that he is against improving public services like the Fire Department. He is also a little bitch to the Mayo Clinic and St. Mary's. A little known fact is that they are huge contributors to his cause.

Adam

about 16 years ago 

2 questions:
What does it mean that the top 4 candidates advance?

Why would Mayo contribute to Stauber?  I highly doubt they care about him or Duluth politics.

Adam

about 16 years ago 

nm, just saw that these were primary results...  My Stauber mayo question still stands.

pH

about 16 years ago 

Gold Cross Ambulance is owned by Mayo.  City has been considering starting it's own ambulance service. These random things come to mind.

adam

about 16 years ago 

Find a former ambulance driver and ask some questions.

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