Allen, Dziedzic Win Legislative Special Elections

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Voters in south Minneapolis have elected DFL endorsee Susan Allen as the Minnesota Legislature's first American Indian female member.

Unofficial returns Tuesday show Allen, an attorney, defeated independent candidate Nathan Blumenshine.

The two left-leaning candidates were vying for a House seat left open when then-Rep. Jeff Hayden claimed the Senate seat vacated by Linda Berglin.

In another special election Tuesday, unofficial returns show Democrat Kari Dziedzic defeated Republican Ben Schwanke for a state Senate seat on Minneapolis' eastern side, which includes the University of Minnesota. Dziedzic replaces former Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, who left the Senate to serve in the Dayton administration.

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