Foung Hawj, a Laotian refugee who became active in community organizations and DFL politics in St. Paul, won a three-way DFL primary Tuesday for the Minnesota Senate.
Hawj won a primary for the Senate District 67 seat now held by John Harrington, who chose not to seek a second term.
With all the precincts reporting, Hawj had 44 percent of the vote, compared to 39 percent for city inspections official Robert Humphrey and 17 percent for former City Council member Tom Dimond. Hawj will be favored over Republican Mike Capistrant in the November general election in the heavily DFL district.
Hawj is a multimedia producer who has lived in St. Paul for more than two decades. He serves as DFL precinct chair in Senate District 67 and sought the seat two years ago.
