Primary picks two to race for Hennepin County Board seat

A former state representative and a St. Louis Park City Council member were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday's special election primary for a seat on the Hennepin County Board.

They'll both move on to the special election on May 13.

Former state Rep. Marion Greene won almost 36 percent of the vote in the six-way race to fill the board seat in Hennepin County's 3rd District, which covers all of St. Louis Park and much of southwest Minneapolis. St. Louis Park Council Member Anne Mavity came in second with 28 percent of the vote.

Greene has said that she has the experience and knowledge to deal with the wide range of issues facing Hennepin County. She said earlier this week that she'd focus on health and child care to help struggling communities in the county.

Mavity has made correcting economic and racial disparities a focal point of her campaign. She has said her city and county government experiences would help her be an effective leader on the board.

Because it's officially a non-partisan race, only the two top candidates move on to the election.

Ben Schweigert, who works as a Hennepin County prosecutor, inched in behind Mavity with 25 percent of the vote. Former state Sen. Ken Kelash received 7 percent, while Republican-endorsed Bob Carney, Jr., received the support of slightly more than 2 percent of primary voters.

Turnout was low on the rainy day; 6,285 people cast their votes in a district where 104,906 are registered, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State's election results. Almost 18,000 people voted in the primary in the district in 2010.

The seat was left open by the retirement of Gail Dorfman, who has served on the board for 14 years. She's taking a job heading up St. Stephen's Human Services in Minneapolis.