Judge rules DFL House candidate did not meet residency requirements, won’t be sworn in

By KSTP
Updated: 1 hour ago
Published: December 20, 2024 - 1:15 PM


House 40B candidates Paul Wikstrom, left, and Curtis Johnson. (Campaign photos)

A judge on Friday granted a Republican candidate’s contest of the results of a Minnesota House race after finding his Democratic opponent did not establish residency in House District 40B.

DFL candidate Curtis Johnson won the election in the district that includes parts of Roseville and Shoreview by more than 7,500 votes, but his opponent, Republican Paul Wikstrom, found Johnson was still living in Little Canada in the months leading up to the event.

Johnson had signed a lease at a Roseville apartment complex earlier in the year, but Wikstrom’s campaign built a body of evidence suggesting he had never moved in. Investigators took photos of Johnson’s car, a blue Mitsubishi, consistently parked in the driveway of the home he and his wife own in Little Canada.

Based on testimony from Johnson and witnesses who had surveilled Johnson’s whereabouts, District Judge Leonardo Castro found Johnson “spent scant time” at the Roseville apartment until Oct. 15. State law requires candidates to reside in the district they represent for at least six months before the general election.

{snip}