Sexton wins GOP primary for House 19B seat

Less than 100 votes separated the two candidates in the GOP primary for Minnesota House 19B, but that was before the Waseca County votes came in.

That area delivered: Tom Sexton, of Waseca, won the run-off with 66.5% of the vote.

His challenger, Mick Ditlevson, of Owatonna, picked up 33.4% of the nearly 2,615 ballots cast.

The district covers the northern two-thirds of Steele County, two townships in Waseca County and the city of Waseca.

Sexton will now face DFL candidate Edelgard “Edel” Fernandez Mejia in the Nov. 5 general election.

The seat became open with the retirement of former Rep. John Petersburg (R-Waseca), who gave his endorsement to Sexton last week.

The retired U.S. Air Force colonel had received the party’s nod at the Republican endorsing convention in April.