Tag: Gretchen Piper

Iverson & Plechash Win Wayzata City Council Race, Incumbents Retain State, National Seats

November 4th, 2020

While much is still undecided at the national level of the 2020 election, we know how things shook out closer to home.

Cathy Iverson & Alex Plechash

Wayzata City Council

Wayzata Planning Commissioner Cathy Iverson and current Wayzata City Councilmember Alex Plechash came out on top of a four-candidate race Tuesday.

Iverson received 1,416 votes (31.38%) while Plechash was re-elected with 1,133 votes. (25.11%).

Another planning commissioner, Jeff Parkhill, gathered 993 votes (22.01%).

Meanwhile, current City Councilmember Dan Koch finished fourth with 925 votes (20.50%).

Current City Councilmember Johanna McCarthy won her bid for mayor. She ran unopposed.

Minnesota Senate District 33

Republican incumbent Sen. David Osmek retains his Minnesota Senate District 33 seat with win over Democratic challenger Gretchen Piper. Osmek had 53.98% of the vote. Piper had 45.96%.

Minnesota House District 33A

Republican incumbent Rep. Jerry Hertaus has defeated Democratic challenger Caitlin Cahill to retain Minnesota House District 33A. Hertaus had 58.06% of the vote while Cahill had 41.90%.

U.S. Congressional District 3

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips has defeated Republican challenger Kendall Qualls in the U.S. House District 3. Phillips had 55.58% of the vote while Qualls had 44.35%.

Hennepin County Commissioner District 6

Chris LaTondresse will replace Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Callison with win over Dario Anselmo. LaTondresse won with 52.55% of the vote.

Election 2020: The Races Unique To Wayzata Residents

November 1st, 2020

There are high-profile election races this year such as the one for President that are making headlines.

But there are several decisions voters will need to make that are at much more local level.

Wayzata is a good example with several races to be uniquely decided by the city’s residents.

Wayzata.com has been tracking local elections throughout 2020 – you can see previous coverage here.

City Council

First off, Wayzata will have a new mayor in 2021 and the make up of the city council will change too.

Current Mayor Ken Willcox is not seeking re-election after 12 years as mayor.

City Councilmember Johanna McCarthy is the only person to throw her hat in the ring for the mayor’s seat. Barring a major write-in campaign of another candidate, McCarthy will be Wayzata’s next mayor.

McCarthy moving a few seats down in the city council chamber will open up an opportunity for an appointment. We’ll get to that in a bit.

Meanwhile, four candidates are competing for two council seats. Incumbents Dan Koch and Alex Plechash are seeking re-election. Planning Commissioners Cathy Iverson and Jeffrey Parkhill running to join the council.

Assuming McCarthy becomes the city’s next mayor, no matter who wins the council race, there will be a vacancy to fill.

McCarthy will vacate her council seat for the mayoral seat. The council will then need to appoint someone for McCarthy’s seat. The drama of the Wayzata city elections will carry over into 2021 with the decision of the appointment.

Minnesota House

Democratic candidate Caitlin Cahill is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Jerry Hertaus for the Minnesota House District 33A seat.

Hertaus was first elected to the legislature in 2012.

He serves on the House Property and Local Tax Division, State Government Finance Division, Subcommittee on Local Government, and Ways and Means Committees.

Hertaus is a business owner and lives in Greenfield.

Cahill grew up in Plymouth and graduated from the Wayzata Schools. She is serving in her second term as a city council member in Maple Plain.

In a previous interview with Wayzata.com, Cahill stated, “We live in some of the fastest-growing communities in the state, and we need practical, forward-thinking representation to match that growth. Business as usual will not suffice. I will make it a priority to listen to constituents and develop data-driven solutions to make our communities even better.”

Minnesota Senate

Democratic candidate Gretchen Piper is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. David Osmek for the Minnesota Senate District 33 seat.

Osmek was first elected to the legislature in 2012.

He serves as Chair of the Senate Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee.

He is a healthcare consultant and lives in Mound.

Piper is a business owner who grew up in Hamel, and now lives in Wayzata.

In a previous interview with Wayzata.com, Piper stated, “I’m running to put our shared values into action, not the values of a political party. I’m committed to listening to you and being part of constructive, common sense solutions that benefit our communities – all of us.”

Third Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips is up for re-election in Minnesota Congressional District 3.

Phillips, a Democrat, defeated Republican Erik Paulsen in 2018.

Phillips is a member of the House Ethics, Financial Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, as well as the Democracy Reform Task Force and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

His challenger is Republican Kendall Qualls.

Qualls grew up in New York and served in the U.S. Army.

He later worked in the healthcare industry for several companies including Medtronic.

Hennepin County Commissioner

Jan Callison is not seeking reelection to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners serving the 6th District.

Dario Anselmo and Chris Latondresse are squaring off for the seat.

Anselmo has lived in Edina for 20 years and has worked in the commercial real estate business for 28 years.

Latondresse grew up and raised his family in Hopkins and is currently the Vice-Chair of the Hopkins School Board.

Three Rivers Park District

Incumbent Three Rivers Park District Board Member Marge Beard is running unopposed for the District 1 seat.

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Along with other Minnesotans, Wayzatans will also vote for President and a U.S. Senate seat.
Democratic Candidate Challenging Incumbent Republican For Minnesota Senate District 33 Seat

August 10th, 2020

A Democratic candidate is challenging an incumbent Republican for the Minnesota Senate District 33 seat.

The City of Wayzata falls in Senate District 33.

Sen. David Osmek

Wayzata.com reached out to incumbent David Osmek and did not receive a response to our questions.

Osmek was first elected to the legislature in 2012.

Gretchen Piper

His opponent, Democrat Gretchen Piper, answered the following questioned posed by Wayzata.com:

Why run?

The health of our democracy depends on our involvement. I’m running to put our shared values into action, not the values of a political party. I’m committed to listening to you and being part of constructive, common sense solutions that benefit our communities – all of us.

How has your background/experience prepared you for this position?

My life has been about taking action for what I believe in, for what makes our communities stronger and healthier. Through college, business school and in my professional career and leadership actions, I have always worked with companies that align with my personal mission to improve our communities every day – representation and transparency in government, healthcare access for everyone, high quality public education, environmental conservation, clean water, human rights, caring for our elders and providing opportunities for all.

Tell me about your family.

I come from a family that places a high value, and an expectation, on service. I’ve spent most of my life in the district, growing up in Hamel and now living in Wayzata with my husband and our two teenagers. My parents and two of my brothers and their families live in the district, and my grandparents also lived in the district. I am so grateful for our community, our public schools and how we come together to support one another.

What do you see as the priorities in the 33rd District?

Right now, our top priority must be the health and safety of our neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how we return to work and school while protecting our most vulnerable neighbors and getting our businesses back on track. For example, investment in technology and internet access for everyone is critical, and an important step toward ensuring our recovery. Now is the time we must come together and work together, putting our shared values into action, not letting partisanship get in the way of good policy. We are smart, hard working and innovative neighbors and I trust that together we will find new ways to work, go to school and have a thriving business community.

What differentiates yourself from your opponent?

I believe in progress above politics. I believe that when we take time to listen to our neighbors, we find the common goals and common ground we need for a vibrant economy, good schools, safe communities and a healthy environment. Regardless of party affiliation, we must work together to get our businesses and economy moving forward again. Partisan politics is hurting our communities. If there were ever a time for us and our creative neighbors to come together, this is it. I know we can do better. We can’t change where we have been, but we can start now, where we are, and create a better path forward. Join me in moving forward.

How has the development of COVID-19 and the economic downtown impacted the role of a state senator in your mind?

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored vulnerabilities in our communities, and in our infrastructure. Now is the time to work together, to pass critical legislation that ensures the safety of our community, investments in infrastructure projects like water and sewer treatment, best in class internet access, shovel-ready construction projects, and aid that is desperately needed to keep our communities safe and our economy thriving.

How has George Floyd’s death, protests and riots impacted the role of a state senator in your mind?

Our legislators must be proactive, not reactive. For too long, many have let partisan politics get in the way and failed to address issues of race and policing, delaying difficult conversations and actions. The legislature created a task force of strong, informed community voices who proposed specific changes. Now, we must listen to those recommendations and prioritize action over political grandstanding.

Anything else you would like to add?

Your voice matters. Each of us has a role to play in our democracy and in making our community better for everyone. I believe our representatives are elected to listen to us and to represent us, not special interests, not a political party. I am not taking any PAC, lobbyist or special interest money and I’m running to represent us, the people of senate district 33. I invite you to visit gretchenpiper.comand join me for a listening session or personal conversation about how we can work together for a better future.

Tag: Gretchen Piper

Iverson & Plechash Win Wayzata City Council Race, Incumbents Retain State, National Seats

Election 2020: The Races Unique To Wayzata Residents

Democratic Candidate Challenging Incumbent Republican For Minnesota Senate District 33 Seat