Candidates file for key races on Eden Prairie ballots

Eden Prairie voters will head to the polls on Nov. 5 to decide several key races, including those for president and U.S. Senate.

The filing period for most federal, state, and county offices in Minnesota ended on June 4, shaping the upcoming contests.

Here’s a look at the candidates (listed in alphabetical order) who filed for elections affecting Eden Prairie:

U.S. Representative District 3

Two candidates are seeking to replace outgoing Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips, who chose not to run for another term while briefly pursuing a presidential bid. Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District includes the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, covering cities such as Bloomington, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie.

• Tad Jude (Republican), 72, a lawyer from Maple Grove, is a former longtime legislator, county commissioner, and Minnesota District Court judge for 11 years. Jude, who most recently ran for Hennepin County Attorney in 2022, was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 1972 at age 20. In April, the delegates of Minnesota’s Third Congressional District Republican Party voted to endorse Jude.
• Kelly Morrison (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), 55, an OB-GYN from Deephaven, resigned from her District 45 state senate seat last week to focus on running for Congress. Morrison was first elected as a state representative in 2018 and then as a state senator in 2022​. In May, Minnesota DFL Party delegates endorsed Morrison for her congressional campaign.

State Representative 49A

Three candidates are vying to replace Democratic state Rep. Laurie Pryor, who announced earlier this year that she would retire at the end of her term, in January for a two-year term. The district includes northern Eden Prairie and southern Minnetonka.

• Stacy Bettison (Republican), 53, is a business owner and attorney from Eden Prairie. The GOP Senate District 49 endorsed candidate owns a public relations firm and serves as a part-time public defender for veterans.

• Kissy Coakley (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), 47, is a Minnetonka City Council member (first elected in 2019) and community advocate. She is the founder of Kissy’s Stay Put Services, which provides support to domestic abuse victims who are criminally charged.

• Alex Falconer (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), 43, of Eden Prairie, is the campaign manager for the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters. Falconer, a longtime political and grassroots organizer and former DFL employee, is the Senate District 49A DFL-endorsed candidate.

State Representative 49B

Two candidates – incumbent Democratic Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn and Republican Wendi Russo – will compete to represent House District 49B for a two-year term starting in January. The district encompasses the southern portion of Eden Prairie, running south of Highway 5 in the east and south of Highway 212 in the center to the western edge of the town.

• Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), 37, of Eden Prairie, is serving her third term in the state house, first elected in 2018. Kotyza-Witthuhn has a professional background in operations and management in education, non-profits, and the IT industry, and is the Senate District 49 DFL-endorsed candidate.
• Wendi Russo (Republican), 57, of Eden Prairie, works in broadcasting as a TV host and jewelry and e-commerce sales expert at iMedia Brands, Inc. The GOP Senate District 49 endorsed candidate owns a small business that she says empowers women to use their voice to make an impact in their communities.  

Hennepin County Commissioner District 5

Two candidates – Jeffrey Beck and incumbent Debbie Goettel – are vying for a four-year term representing District 5 on the Hennepin County Board. District 5 includes Bloomington, Richfield, most of Eden Prairie, and a small portion of southwest Minneapolis. 

• Jeffrey A. Beck (nonpartisan), 71, of Eden Prairie, previously ran for Hennepin County commissioner in 2004 and 2014 and was elected to the Hennepin County Soil and Water Board in 2008. He worked as a food delivery driver during the pandemic and is currently retired. Beck does not have a website yet.

• Commissioner Debbie Goettel (nonpartisan), 65, of Richfield, was first elected District 5 commissioner in November 2016. She previously served as Richfield mayor from 2006 to 2014. Goettel is an engineer who specializes in environmental and sustainability fields. Though the race is non-partisan, she is DFL-endorsed.

Hennepin County Commissioner District 6

Two candidates – Heather Edelson and Marisa Simonetti – are facing off to serve a four-year term as District 6 commissioner, starting in January. Edelson beat Simonetti in a special election last month to fill the vacancy left by Chris LaTondresse’s resignation, with the remaining term running through the end of the year. Edelson was sworn in last week. District 6 encompasses 66 precincts, including six located in northern Eden Prairie (precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8).

• Commissioner Heather Edelson (nonpartisan), 43, of Edina, is a former clinical outpatient mental health therapist who has served as a Democratic state representative for Edina since 2019.
• Marisa Simonetti (nonpartisan), 30, the managing owner of the Simonetti Real Estate team, describes herself as the conservative candidate for Hennepin County Commissioner District 6.

The state primary is on Aug. 13.

Because two candidates, Coakley and Falconer, are running for House District 49A from the same party (with Falconer being the DFL-endorsed candidate), they will compete against each other in the Aug. 13 primary. The winner will face Bettison in the Nov. 5 general election.

Additionally, the filing period for municipal and school district offices is from July 30 to Aug. 13.

For more details on the election calendar, visit the Hennepin County website. The Minnesota Secretary of State’s website has more on elections.