HD 19A special election field expands

Listen to this article

Former state Rep. Allen Quist on Friday ended days of speculation by announcing his candidacy for the special election in state House in District 19A.

Quist became the second Republican in as many days to announce a run for the seat being vacated by Rep. Terry Morrow, DFL-St. Peter. Yesterday, veterans services officer Jim Golgart announced his GOP bid. Gov. Mark Dayton hasn’t yet called a date for the special election.

Quist served in the House from 1983 to 1988. He’s fresh off an unsuccessful challenge in 2012 to Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Walz in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.

Republicans are trying to win the seat that Morrow has held since first taking office in 2007. Morrow on Dec. 19 announced he’s leaving the House take a job in Chicago. Three DFLers have already jumped in the race: teacher and union official Robin Courrier, hog farmer Karl Johnson and Minnesota State University-Mankato professor Clark Johnson.

Agriculture consultant and author Tim Gieseke is thinking about running as an Independence Party candidate.