There was one lone state legislative special election this year with the DFL holding HD 11B in November.
Elections
Date
Office
Stage
Winners
Details
12/23/1997
State House, District 17A
Special Primary
Sondra Erickson (Republican) won with 1,292 votes (86.31%) and a winning margin of +72.61
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Sondra Erickson
Woman
Republican
1,292
86.31
Lori Bergmann
Woman
Republican
205
13.69
Special primary election to fill the vacancy due to the resignation of Republican Representative LeRoy Koppendrayer on December 8, 1997 after being appointed to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
Mardi Lacher (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) won with 313 votes (100.00%) and a winning margin of +100.00
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Mardi Lacher
Woman
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
313
100.00
Special primary election to fill the vacancy due to the resignation of Republican Representative LeRoy Koppendrayer on December 8, 1997 after being appointed to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
Mary Ellen Otremba (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) won with 5,034 votes (58.14%) and a winning margin of +16.41
Candidate
Gender
Party
Votes
Percent
Mary Ellen Otremba
Woman
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
5,034
58.14
Barbara (Barb) Schmitt
Woman
Republican
3,613
41.73
Scattering
Write-In
12
0.14
Special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of DFL Representative Ken Otremba on September 4, 1997. Mary Ellen Otremba was a teacher from Swanville and Ken Otremba's widow. Schmitt was an agricultural business owner from Staples.