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Several have filed to run for local offices including the City Council and Mower County Board of Commissioners.

In total, 11 people have filed to run for spots within the city including Austin mayor where incumbent Steve King has filed to run for another term. Running against him will be Jeff Austin, who is currently serving as the At-Large member on the council, and Bradley Johnson.

King, who defeated Austin in the mayoral race in 2020, is in his first term as Austin’s mayor.

Meanwhile, on the city council, four have thrown their hats in the ring for the Ward 1 seat currently held by Geoff Baker, who is not running.

Baker was appointed to the seat in 2022 to round out the remaining two years of Oballa Oballa’s term when Oballa stepped down to run for the At-Large seat after moving out of Ward 1.

Running for the seat this year will be Miguel Garate, Patrick Lange, Varinh VanVugt and Rebecca Waller.

Waller has served on the council before, but was defeated by Laura Helle in the last election. VanVugt was one of the three looking for appointment to fill Oballa’s seat and more recently Garate served as Honorary Councilmember this year. 

Current Ward 2 councilmember Mike Postma is running again and will run unopposed while in Ward 3 Paul Fischer will face two challengers in Alexander T. Marshall and Brian Pentis.

On the county side, current Board Chair John Mueller is running for another term and will run unopposed in the First District, while in the Second District, incumbent Polly Glynn will run against Steve Reinartz. 

The Minnesota primary will be on Aug. 13 with the election onNov. 5

Other election filings include:

House of Representatives 23A

Peggy Bennet — incumbent

Joe Staloch

House of Representatives 23B

Patricia Mueller — incumbent

Joe Pacovsky

Mower County Soil and Water Supervisor

District 1: Rodney Moe

District 2: Jay Soitau

District 5: Jon Erickson

Utility Board (All currently serving)

Tyler Huisebus

Kristin S. Johnson

Jay Lutz