FitzSimmons Takes Minnesota House District 30B

Rural Albertville resident and longtime Republican advocate David FitzSimmons won the seat for Minnesota House District 30B.

He will represent St. Michael, Albertville, Otsego and Hanover at the state legislature.

FitzSimmons beat DFL candidate Sharon Shimek by about 20 percent of the votes. He received 11,992 votes for about 62 percent of the votes. Shimek received 7,367 votes for about 40 percent of the votes.

"I am very humbled by the confidence the voters of Otsego, St. Michael, Albertville and Hanover have expressed by electing me to serve as their representative in St. Paul," FitzSimmons wrote in an email to St. Michael Patch. "I look forward to pushing for transportation policy that highlights the needed road expansion on key corridors such as I-94. I look forward to pushing for more equitable school funding that doesn't short-change districts in our area, and I look forward to advocating for a tax and regulation policy that fosters economic growth. I am very excited to work with local leaders to get these things done."

Shimek faced an uphill climb in a district that showed a more than 25 percent advantage for the Republicans

FitzSimmons was a force behind Tom Emmer's bid for governor in 2010. FitzSimmons is chairman of the Sixth District Republican Party and a small business owner.

“As a proud conservative I will work tirelessly to represent this district with strong convictions based on the beliefs of life, liberty and smaller government," FitzSimmons wrote on his campaign website in his announcement of his endorsement by the GOP party in 2010. "My vision is to make Minnesota government limited and less intrusive to create a stronger environment for Minnesota job growth.”

FitzSimmons held an election night party in Buffalo at which attendees included republican Marion O'Neil who won the House District 29B seat, republican Bruce Anerson who took Senate District 29, republican Joe McDonald who won House District 29A, and Tom Darkenwald who lost the Wright County commissioner District 3 seat to Mark Daleiden.

Darkenwald told St. Michael Patch that FitzSimmons' history in behind-the-scenes work in politcal campaigns helped his race.

"As a freshman representative, he was way ahead of the game," Darkenwald said. "He's familiar with issues and procedures, and that's really going to help us for our area."