Democratic candidates swept statewide offices in Tuesday's election in Minnesota.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting:
For Minnesota attorney general, two-term incumbent and Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) candidate Lori Swanson, 47, of Eagan, defeated Republican Scott J. Newman, a 67-year-old retired private practice attorney from Hutchinson, and four other candidates.
Swanson had 53 percent of votes to 39 percent for Newman.
Four people ran for Minnesota secretary of state after Democrat Mark Ritchie opted not to seek a third term.
DFL candidate Steve Simon, 44, an attorney and state legislator from Hopkins, narrowly won with 47 percent of the vote.
Republican candidate Dan M. Severson, a 60-year-old retired naval officer from Sauk Rapids, had 46 percent.
Simon had 899,619 votes to Severson’s 877,640. Independence Party candidate Bob Helland drew 93,858 votes, or 4.91 percent.
The secretary of state administers elections, registers businesses, records business documents and financing statements, preserves official state documents and administers an address confidentiality program.
Two-term Minnesota State Auditor and DFL candidate Rebecca Otto, 51, of Marine, won her race with 52 percent of the vote. Republican Randy Gilbert, a 49-year-old auditor from Plymouth, had 40 percent of the vote.
The state auditor serves a four-year term and oversees local government financial activity.
