District 15 Republicans endorsed Marshall businessman Braxton Seifert to for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Gary Dahms. Seifert, of Marshall, was chosen on the first ballot in a three-way race.
A record number of delegates, alternates and guests packed Odeon Hall in Belview to cast their ballots after speeches from the candidates and many weeks of campaigning. A debate among the candidates was held in Wabasso the previous Monday to the Endorsing Convention.
Seifert focused on leadership for the district and state, with strong, specific solutions to combat fraud, welfare reform, tax and regulatory reductions, supporting agriculture and promoting business growth in southwest Minnesota.
Seifert’s background includes serving as a loan officer at a family-owned bank, as an auctioneer and owner of a growing storage business; as a member of the Lyon County Corn & Soybean Growers Board, the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce, active member of the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Marshall and as a youth mentor to high school students through the CEO program.
All candidates agreed to abide by the Endorsing Convention decision, leaving Seifert as the sole Republican Senate Candidate going into the general election.
District 15 includes all of Brown, Lac Qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood and Yellow Medicine Counties and portions of Blue Earth and Chippewa Counties.
• Geri Theis won the GOP endorsement to succeed the retiring Rep. Paul Torkelson.
