We are part of The Trust Project.
ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Supreme Court backed a court-appointed referee who determined state Sen. Torrey Westrom, R-Alexandria, lives within the boundaries of the new Senate District 12 and meets the residency requirements for the 2022 general election.
The court made the decision on Tuesday, Sept. 27.
“I’m glad to finally have this frivolous attempt to disqualify me concluded by the Minnesota Supreme Court,” Westrom said in a statement. “Their decision ends a coordinated effort by the DFL, and independent candidates to try to have me removed from the ballot.”
On Aug. 8, Ashley Klingbeil of Alexandria, an independent candidate running for the District 12 Senate seat, and her campaign manager, filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court, asking the court to remove Westrom’s name from the Nov. 8 ballot. They alleged that Westrom had not established his residency in the district by May 8, the required six months from the general election.
After redistricting, Senate District 12 comprises portions of Douglas and Stearns and all of Big Stone, Pope, Stevens and Swift counties. Klingbeil’s petition claimed that Westrom was still living in Elbow Lake, which is not in Senate District 12.
ADVERTISEMENT
After the referee judge ruled in favor of Westrom on Aug. 31, Klingbeil said that while she disagreed that Westrom met the residency requirement, she respected the court's decision that the petition did not meet the burden of proof.
The Supreme Court rejected all the petitioners’ objections, stating, “We conclude that these objections fail.” The Supreme Court made the final decision based on the lower court’s findings and additional scrutiny.
Three candidates are vying for the Minnesota Senate District 12 office — Westrom, Klingbeil, who listed her party affiliation as "We the People," and Kari Dorry, the DFL-endorsed candidate from Ortonville.
