House District 13B
- Al Juhnke - DFL (Campaign Finance Bd.)
- Bonnie Wilhelm - R (Campaign Finance Bd.)
50% rural, 50% urban. There is a significant and sometimes controversial growth in the local Latino and Somali populations in this district. Many Latinos and Somalis work in the poultry and sugar beet processing plants. The Jenny-O Turkey Store, employing more than 1,500 people in Willmar, is the world's leading processor and marketer of traditional and value-added turkey products. Willmar bills itself as the fastest growing non-metropolitan city in the state. Agricultural expansion and the establishment of Willmar as a division point of the old Great Northern Railway determined the early growth of the city. Agriculture and railroading are still important parts of the city's life. With more than 30 churches in the district, much of the communities' interaction and social structure revolves around them. Politically, the district could be considered a toss-up.
To get a much better picture of each candidate's prospects, your best bet is to order the 2007-2008 Politics in Minnesota Directory, which includes election histories for each incumbent, the vote percentages for major candidates in each district and much more in addition to the maps and district descriptions below. Buy the Directory here. Please note that the district maps and written descriptions are copyrighted. We encourage you to link to the pages, but printing them for dissemination requires the permission of the publisher. To get permission, write to staff@politicsinminnesota.com.
Also, please note that some incumbents do not yet have opponents. Candidate filings close July 15, 2008.
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