The initial election outcome in a St. Cloud-area Senate race will stand after a recount and Republican Jerry Relph will join fellow GOPers in the Capitol next year, according to unofficial election results.
After a few days of re-counting ballots, officials concluded Relph won 17,519 votes, besting DFLer Dan Wolgamott by just 141 votes -- 7 fewer than the original election results.
Wolgamott picked up 6 votes in the recount while Relph lost one. Wolgamott lost the open seat by less than a half one percent. The seat was left vacant by state Sen. John Pederson, R-St. Cloud, who retired after two terms.
A previous recount in a Minnetonka-area Senate seat also confirmed the results showing Republican Paul Anderson besting Deb Calvert for the seat vacated by state Sen. Terri Bonoff who ran for Congress.
"Now that the recounts are complete and the final numbers are in, Senate Republicans are ready to focus on the important work of addressing the healthcare crisis and growing jobs in Minnesota," said incoming Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, in a statement.
Results will not be official until the State Canvassing Board meets next week to allocate the challenged ballots and certify the results, according to a spokesman for Secretary of State Steve Simon.
