Minnesota Lawyer
Connie Bernardy
Former Fridley Rep. Connie Bernardy won the DFL endorsement for new House District 41A on Saturday, besting the district’s incumbent legislator, Rep. Tom Tillberry.
Bernardy, who retired from the House in 2006 after five years in the chamber, beat Tillberry after only one ballot at a gathering of delegates at Columbia Heights High School. Tillberry replaced Bernardy in the House after she retired.
Tillberry says he has not ruled out running in a DFL primary and will consider his options.
The new district has already been subject to one DFL-on-DFL pairing. When the redistricting maps were released, Tillberry’s hometown of Fridley landed in the same district as New Brighton, where DFL Rep. Kate Knuth lives. Knuth ultimately decided to retire from the Legislature instead of challenging Tillberry for the endorsement.
Originally, Bernardy intended to run for the Senate against freshman Republican Pam Wolf, but the new maps placed her in Senate District 41, which is currently represented by DFL Sen. Barb Goodwin. Bernardy opted to run for the House seat instead.
Several people spoke in favor of the candidates, including Knuth’s mother, who threw her support behind Bernardy. Knuth did not endorse in the contest.
– Staff Writer Charley Shaw contributed to this report
