Glynn tops Tucker by 61 votes; Commissioner is third who voted for jail to lose re-election

Polly Glynn predicted the race for District 2 commissioner would be close.

She was right.

Glynn unseated Ray Tucker, a 16-year veteran of the county board, by 61 votes Tuesday, as the race came down to the final of 20 precincts.

“Wow, that’s my first response,” Glynn said late Tuesday. “I’m excited, and I’m honored and humbled. It’s going to be great.”

Tucker led with 16 precincts reporting, but Glynn took the lead on the final four precincts to win 1,949 to 1,888.

According to county officials, Glynn will become just the second woman to serve on the county board. While she’s pleased with the prospect, she added many other women are already serving the county.

“I’m kind of excited about that,” she said. “Mower County has always been very pro-women: You’ve got a woman sheriff; you’ve got a county attorney that’s a female. I think that says a lot for Mower County. … I’m looking forward to that challenge.”

For Tucker, this is likely the end of his political career after four terms on the county board. He said he likely won’t participate in another election and will focus on his business, Tucker Tiling.

“I’ve done my duty as far as public service,” he said.

Tucker is the third commissioner who voted for the $29-million Jail and Justice Center who was projected to lose in the next election, as both Dave Hillier and Dick Lang lost to Jerry Reinartz and Tony Bennett in 2010.

When asked if there are lingering hard feelings and concern over the jail project, Tucker admitted it was possible.

“There could be, but I think it was still the right move,” Tucker said. “It was still the proper thing to do.”

Glynn is no stranger to large public projects, as she served on the Grand Meadow Public School Board when it decided to build the dome school.

“There’s some people that will never be able to let that go completely,” she said.

But because of how close the race was, Glynn said she doesn’t think the jail was the key issue.

“Maybe people were ready for a change, and I’m glad that I could offer them another option,” she said.

Tucker said some anti-incumbent sentiments in recent years could have played a small role, but he was giving most of the credit to Glynn.

“She’s a good opponent,” he said. “That’s what it is.”

Likewise, Glynn was complimentary of Tucker.

“I just have the utmost respect for him,” she said.

Glynn said she’s likely tap into Tucker’s experience and perhaps seek some advice. She said she expects he’ll be helpful as she prepares to take office in January.

Glynn, a retired bank president, said she’s looking forward to looking forward to working with county departments on the county’s budget issues, especially out of home placements in Human Services.

“The financial end of it is where my career has been, so I’m not at all fearful of that part of it,” she said.

Glynn said she’ll continue working to get a handle on county issues.

“I know I’ve got a large learning curve, but I am up to the challenge,” Glynn said.

Despite the close race, neither Tucker or Glynn expect a recount.

“I have all the trust in the world for the way the elections are ran,” Tucker said.

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