While most residents of Faribault County will only see choices for U.S. Senator and U.S. House of Representatives on their ballots for the Tuesday, Aug. 13 Primary Election, voters in one Faribault County Commissioner District will have three names to choose from.

Three persons filed for the open County Commissioner seat in District 1. Those three are incumbent John Roper and challengers Brenda Baldwin and Gertrude Paschke.

The two highest vote getters in the Primary Election will move on to face each other in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Only voters in Commissioner District 1 will be voting for their choice for County Commissioner in the Primary Election. District 1 is composed of Blue Earth Township, Ward 3 of City of Blue Earth, Elmore Township, City of Elmore, Rome Township, City of Frost and Emerald Township.

Roper has been the county commissioner for District 1 since he was elected in November of 2008. He defeated then incumbent Barb Steier.

Roper has been a resident of Faribault County for 44 years. During his working career he was a farmer for 13 years, worked at Telex for 32 years and was involved in business including being a financial advisor for Roper Financial Resources.

Baldwin was born and raised in Blue Earth and she and her husband, Mark, have been married for 38 years and have three children and four grandchildren.

She served as a volunteer EMT in Winnebago for 13 years, in Blue Earth for 17 years and taught EMS for South Central College in Mankato for 35 years.

She founded the Minnesota Patriots 4 America action group in August of 2021.

Baldwin has attended many County Board meetings and lobbied to have the commissioners declare Faribault County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County which they did.

Baldwin says she is running for the County Board because she does not like the way issues are being addressed and the decisions that are being made with limited transparency.

Paschke, who was born and raised in the Blue Earth area, is a retired county assessor for Faribault County and says she has a proven track record of service to the people of Faribault County.

“After I retired I still felt a calling to serve, and this opportunity to run came up,” she says. “I think the County Board, and other county officials, are there to serve the people of the county.”

She is running, she explains, because she believes it is time for a change on the County Board.

Three seats on the County Board are actually up for election this year. Besides District 1 with incumbent John Roper, District 3 with incumbent Bill Groskreutz and District 5 with incumbent commissioner Bruce Anderson were also open.

Only the two incumbents filed in the other two Commissioner Districts.