Tucker, Gabrielson win county races

Published 1:13 am Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Raymond Tucker and Tim Gabrielson won their Mower County Commissioner races Tuesday, according to unofficial results.

Tucker appeared to win another term with 52.38 percent and 2,067 votes in the District 2 race, while challenger Sarah Douty received 47.57 percent and 1,877 votes.

In the District 1 race, Gabrielson received 64.75 percent and 2,382 votes, while Dan Vermilyea received 34.74 percent and 1,278 votes.

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With 38 of 39 Mower County precincts reporting, voter turnout countywide registered at nearly 88 percent.

In the presidential race, county residents voted for Democrat Barack Obama, Tuesday’s nationwide winner, over Republican John McCain by a 60.45 percent to 36.86 percent margin.

In the senate race, 47.55 percent voted for Democrat Al Franken, while 35.97 percent voted for Republican Norm Coleman and 15.27 voted for Independent Dean Barkley. The race was still close to call statewide late Tuesday.

Democrat Robin Brown led districtwide in the District 27A state representative race and locally earned 68.02 percent of the vote compared with 31.89 percent for Republican Erik Larsen.

Both Blooming Prairie School District referendums failed.

As of late Tuesday, the Clean Water Wildlife Cultural Heritage and Natural Areas Constitutional Amendment was passing statewide with 58.47 percent voting in favor. In Mower County, 63.83 percent voted to approve it.

In the U.S. Representative District 1 race, incumbent Democrat Tim Walz built a strong lead districtwide over Republican challenger Brian Davis. Locally, Walz received 70.26 percent of the vote.