DFL District 27A candidate Shannon Savick of Wells thanks the crowd of delegates Sunday afternoon after receiving the party endorsement for the seat. -- Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune

ALBERT LEA — Wells Mayor Shannon Savick said she is prepared to walk door to door by the end of May to start her campaign against District 27A incumbent Rich Murray, R-Albert Lea.

“I will work hard for the election,” she said.

Savick, who was raised in Faribault County, said she decided to run after seeing in Wells how the Legislature’s decisions can affect small communities. DFL delegates threw their support behind Savick at a District 27 endorsing convention at the Union Center in Albert Lea Sunday.

Savick, who had planned to run for the Legislature in District 24B before the districts were reorganized, thanked everyone who supported her and said she plans to start walking door to door at the end of May.

The first year she was mayor she saw a $200,000 cut to the city’s local government aid; the second year there was a $250,000 cut.

“They’ve just shifted the burden onto local governments,” she said.

At one point, she had to ask herself if she should fire a police officer or raise taxes.

“I don’t think we are being represented rightly with the current Legislature,” she said.

Savick has a master’s degree in business administration and has worked in the high-tech computer industry for more than 20 years.

Murray, contacted about the endorsement Sunday evening, said he did not know much about Savick.

“Right now I’ve just been focusing on getting our legislative session wrapped up,” Murray said. “Campaigning is still a few weeks off.”

Savick received 26 out of 31 possible votes during a secret ballot at the District 27 endorsing convention.

Four people voted to have no endorsement, and one person voted to support last-minute candidate Bryce Samuelson.

Samuelson, of Dodge County, said he had been considering running for the seat for some time.

“I hadn’t made the decision until today,” he said. “I thought I’d throw it in and see what happens.”

In separate votes, incumbent state Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, and District 27B Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin, also received endorsements for their re-elections.