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By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

County Republicans who live in the Fergus Falls area gave their support to GOPer Scott Jensen in his bid to challenge DFLer and incumbent Tim Walz in the race for Minnesota governor in 2022.

Jensen, a former legislator and physician who resides near Chaska, southwest of the Twin Cities, received 61 votes in a straw poll at the GOP caucus at Kennedy Secondary School in Fergus Falls. Coming in a distant second was Mike Murphy with 26 votes.

Five other GOP candidates received a combined 69 votes.

Over at the DFL caucus, on the campus of M State, Fergus Falls, Democrats expressed support and confidence in Tim Walz as he seeks re-election as the governor of Minnesota, to a new four-year term.

GOPers gave their wholehearted support to first-term State Rep. Jordan Rasmusson of Fergus Falls, Minn. who this year will run for the State Senate following the announced retirement of Bill Ingebrigtsen, Alexandria.

Rasmusson won his first state legislative race in 2020. He helped pass legislation, on a bipartisan basis, for mental health initiatives. He also led efforts to re-open Otter Tail County’s driver license exam center in Fergus Falls, Minn. after months of the pandemic.

Minnesota is currently revising state legislative district maps for both the State House and State Senate following the 2020 census. Minnesota retained its eight Congressional seats following the census.

Caucus gatherers on Feb. 1 also addressed issues of concern in Otter Tail County and the state in general.

GOPers cited issues such as tax reform, making more efforts to reduce crime, seeking changes to education in Minnesota, protection of religious freedom and making state government, in their words, “smaller and better.”

Among the DFL issues addressed at the Feb. 1 caucuses were new efforts to fight covid-19, public safety reforms, combating climate change, education assistance and making further investments in state infrastructure.