In the Cottage Grove special election, Justin Olsen held a sizable lead to reach victory over opponent Roman Kreeger on Tuesday night.
Olsen had 81 percent of the votes with six of seven precincts recorded for the City Council at-large seat.
Olsen has been elected to the council twice before, in 2008 and 2012. He will fill a vacant seat left by a departing council member.
Olsen said he is focused on improving life-cycle housing and transit options throughout Cottage Grove. He is a Park High School graduate with two children currently in the Cottage Grove school district.
Results for other contested east metro races include:
FALCON HEIGHTS ELECTS GUSTAFSON MAYOR
Incumbent Mayor Randy Gustafson came out on top in the Falcon Heights mayoral race. Gustafson garnered 67 percent of the votes to defeat his only challenger, Dave Thomas.
Gustafson spent eight years on the Ramsey County Charter Commission, and four years on the Falcon Heights City Council. He was appointed mayor by the council earlier this year.
The City Council will get two new members.
Candidates Yakasah Wehyee and Kay Andrews were elected for their first term in the at-large seats. They received 44 and 43 percent of the votes, respectively, beating 23-year-old candidate Adam Sychla, who pulled in about 11 percent of the vote.
ST. PAUL PARK RE-ELECTS MAYOR
Sandi Dingle was leading Tuesday night in a bid to remain mayor of St. Paul Park in a tight race.
With all four precincts reporting, Dingle had 53 percent of the votes. Contender, longtime St. Paul Park City Clerk Sharon Ornquist, had just under 47 percent of the votes.
After serving on the City Council for 14 years, Dingle has now been mayor for three years.
The city has also re-elected an incumbent council member and brought a new face to the panel.
Incumbent Tim Jones emerged as a victor in the council race alongside Keith Franke, a former Republican member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and former mayor of St. Paul Park.
Franke had 43 percent of the council votes. Jones had about 24 percent.
Jones has served on the City Council since 2003.
WHITE BEAR LAKE INCUMBENT WINS
White Bear Lake’s Steven Engstran will spend another term representing Ward 5, overcoming Planning Commission member Jim Berry in the suburb’s contested race for city council. Engstran got 53 percent of the votes, Berry 45 percent.
Engstran has been on the council for about four years.