District 27B Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin, will serve a seventh term in the Minnesota House after defeating Dennis Schminke of Austin, 9,490 (53.62 percent) to 8,195 (46.3 percent).

Poppe, 59, a counselor at Riverland Community College and former Austin City Council member, first won election to the seat in 2004. It marked the second time Poppe and Schminke vied for the seat.

“I am humbled, certainly; the vote is a precious commodity. I am personally very appreciative of the opportunity to return to the House,” she said Wednesday.

She said there will be new challenges ahead, with both the Senate and House now under Republican control.

“It will be a different Legislature and it becomes more challenging to have a progressive and honest discussion” about the issues facing Minnesotans, she said.

“The bonding bill, transportation, tax bill, all these things that were left on the table during the last session; we need to see movement toward resolving these” without the heat of partisan politics, she said.

“The campaign season is over,” Poppe said. “Government and progress needs to happen now.”