All Hennepin County board incumbents win

Incumbent county commissioners were all winners Tuesday in Hennepin County, where five of seven districts were on the ballot.

One of the races was for the open seat in the Second District, where longtime Commissioner Mark Stenglein resigned in May to become president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council.

In that race, veteran state Sen. Linda Higgins won with 60 percent of the vote over Blong Yang, an attorney who worked most recently for the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights.

Higgins said during the campaign that her legislative experience in law enforcement, health and human services would be put to good use in the state's largest county.

The district stretches from Plymouth through parts of Golden Valley and northeast Minneapolis to St. Anthony.

In other commission races, Board Chairman Mike Opat and Commissioners Randy Johnson and Jan Callison won, and Commissioner Jeff Johnson was unopposed.

In Edina, eight-year incumbent Mayor Jim Hovland won another term by defeating a challenge from former City Council Member Linda Masica.

New mayors were also elected in Robbinsdale, Excelsior and Victoria.

Three Rivers Park District

All five commissioner positions in the Three Rivers Park District were decided Tuesday, including three in open seats.

Former Minnetonka City Manager and State Finance Commissioner John Gunyou won the Fourth District with 54 percent of the vote against Leigh Harrod.

Former Hennepin County Commissioner Penny Steele defeated Three Rivers Commissioner Sara Wyatt in the First District, with 52 percent of the vote. Jennifer DeJournett won the Second District, defeating Rick Theisen, and Daniel Freeman beat Matthew Laue in the Third District by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

In Richfield, voters approved a 10-year extension of the school levy, and also an increase in the levy of $60 per student.