Republican State Rep. Josh Heintzeman won his primary race handily Tuesday, Aug. 9, besting challenger Doug Kern to appear on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.
With 25 of 25 precincts reporting late Tuesday, Heintzeman earned 3,132 votes (79.92%) to Kern’s 787 (20.08%).
Heintzeman said he was very happy with the result and the margin of victory was just about what he expected after speaking with about 3,000 voters in the district.
“I think the biggest takeaway for us at our event tonight was essentially what we’re seeing is almost an exact reflection of what we saw at the endorsing convention,” Heintzeman said during a phone interview Tuesday night. “You know, it’s frustrating to have things progress to a primary, but to see the outcome come out essentially exactly what we saw then, I think says a lot about the process and the folks that were there and their feelings about the candidates. That affirmation is helpful.”
Frustration at the primary process aside, Heintzeman said it’s helped him be even more prepared for the upcoming general election battle.
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“We’re pretty well set and that’s, I guess, a positive of having to work early in the race,” Heintzeman said.
House District 6B remains largely unchanged compared to the previous District 10A after this year’s redistricting. It includes most of western Crow Wing County, including the cities of Brainerd, Baxter, Pequot Lakes, Nisswa, Merrifield, Jenkins and Breezy Point.
Candidates were Heintzeman, a small timber-related business owner and the four-term incumbent, and Kern, a township supervisor and owner of an appliance repair company.
Heintzeman moves on to face DFL challenger Sally Boos in November.
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