Republican Sen. Branden Petersen announced last month he would step down this fall.

Observers and participants are predicting a full DFL field in the effort to find Dill’s successor.

Clark Johnson, a professor at Minnesota State University in Mankato, won the House District 19A primary race with about 66 percent of the vote, or 241 total votes. Farmer Karl Johnson came in second place with 26 percent of the vote, while St. Peter Mayor Tim Strand and educator Robin Courrier each garnered about 5 percent of the vote or less.

Gov. Mark Dayton has set a date for two greater Minnesota House districts to hold special elections. Feb. 12 will be the day for voters in House District 19A in the St. Peter and North Mankato area and House District 14A in St. Cloud to pick successors respectively to Reps. Terry Morrow and Steve Gottwalt.

Koenen won the seat with 54 percent of the vote Tuesday evening, beating out GOP candidate Gregg Kulberg by nearly 15 percentage points. Independent candidate Leon Greenslit garnered about 5 percent of the vote in the sprawling new Senate district, which covers Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Renville, Swift, and Yellow Medicine counties in western Minnesota.

Koenen will now head to an April 10 special election, where will face off against Independence Party candidate Leon Greenslit, and Gregg Kulberg, a Republican from Hector.

Attorney Susan Allen was elected in House District 61B, replacing former Rep. Jeff Hayden. Hennepin County staffer Kari Dziedzic easily won the Senate District 59 seat in northeast Minneapolis to replace former Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller.

Long-time DFL operative and Minneapolis city hall staffer Peter Wagenius will run for the open state Senate seat in District 59. Wagenius, 40, who is the son of Rep. Jean Wagenius is running in a special election to replace former majority leader Larry Pogemiller.

Gov. Mark Dayton has issued a writ of special election for the open House District 61B seat that was previously held by Rep. Jeff Hayden. Hayden was elected to the Senate in a special election to replace Sen. Linda Berglin.

Current DFL Rep. Jeff Hayden won a special election in Minneapolis' Senate District 61 with more than 68 percent of the vote, while DFL newcomer Chris Eaton, a registered nurse from Brooklyn Center, took home the Senate District 46 race with more than 60 percent of the vote.