| With just three precincts to go, it looks like the final results will look something like this:
Mike Parry: ~42.5%
Jason Engbrecht: ~36.5%
Roy Srp: ~21%
My guess is that Srp took a lot more votes from Parry (I'm conservative, but can't vote for Parry) than from Engbrecht (I might vote Democrat, but not that guy).
In case anyone needs a bit more spin, let's talk facts instead: Republican Dick Day held this seat for more than four terms without a single strong challenge, and Parry, who tripped himself up with Tweetgate (and then defending it, and then not), could manage just 43%. Let's also keep in mind that Dick Day was last reelected in 2006, at the same time Patti Fritz won her second term in the House in half the district -- Minnesota's pattern of ticket-splitting tendencies continues.
In what's being forecase as a generally bad year for Democrats, I think it's still a relatively safe bet that this seat will be in play come November. |
