Paul Torkelson to move to newly drawn 16B

Rep. Paul Torkelson, R-Nelson Township, announced today he will move to the new House District 16B that includes New Ulm and Redwood Falls. In doing so he will run for an open seat and avoid running against fellow GOP Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, with whom he was paired in the new redistricting maps.

Torkelson said the new District 23B is about 80 percent of Cornish’s old district. The new 16B is about 80 percent of Torkelson old district.

“In a way I feel like I’m moving back to my old district,” Torkelson said.