ST. CLOUD — After two election cycles with razor thin margins in the state Senate District 14 race, Democratic incumbent Aric Putnam successfully widened the gap with his win on Tuesday.
Putnam, a professor at College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, earned 52.4% of the vote against challenger Tama Theis, a business owner who has served in the state House for five terms.
In the unofficial results posted to the Minnesota Secretary of State website, Putnam earned 1,381 votes more than Theis — sizable increases from the 2020 election, when Putnam defeated the late Jerry Relph by 315 votes, and the 2016 election, where Relph defeated Dan Wolgamott by just 141 votes.
Senate District 14, which includes St. Cloud and Waite Park, has grown increasingly diverse over the past decade. And since redistricting, it is more urban and diverse than other parts of central Minnesota.
"The Republicans have stood for everything I can think of that's regressive," said St. Cloud resident Mark Thelen, 78, who said he voted for Democrats in all partisan races Tuesday.
Thelen said his top concerns for the legislative election include women's rights and adequate funding that will benefit society as a whole, he said.
"Parks, libraries, highways and schools could all be tainted with the word socialist. But they provide for everyone," he said.
Wolgamott, who ran for his third term in the House District 14B seat, was re-elected with 51.8% of the vote Tuesday. His challenger was Republican Aaron Henning, co-owner of the well-known local hamburger joint, Val's Rapid Serv.
Wolgamott, a high school football coach and former real estate agent, earned 58% of the vote when he was first elected in 2018 after incumbent Jim Knoblach ended his re-election bid following allegations by his daughter. Wolgamott then earned 56% of the vote in 2020 against Paul Brandmire, a member of St. Cloud City Council.
With Theis running unsuccessfully for the Senate 14 seat, there was no incumbent in the House 14A race.
But the seat will remain Republican: GOPer Bernie Perryman, a business owner, earned 50.7% of the vote to defeat DFL challenger Tami Calhoun, a retired teacher. While the vote count differed by only about 200, the percentage difference is outside the margin for an automatic recount. The Associated Press finally called the race midday Thursday.
St. Cloud voter Michael Hefta, 27, said he voted for Republicans in partisan races because he thinks they'll do a better job curbing inflation and helping grow the economy.
"I'm concerned about the amount of spending," he said.
Vote counts are unofficial until canvassed by governing bodies in the coming days.
