Randy Schubring wins Rochester City Council president seat

ROCHESTER – Randy Schubring, a community engagement executive at Mayo Clinic who championed progressive causes during his campaign, will become the next president of the Rochester City Council.

Schubring defeated Shaun Palmer, the current Ward 5 council member, by nearly 4 points in what became an at-times contentious campaign for the council’s only at-large seat.

Schubring, who took a leave of absence as he campaigned, has said he would resign from Mayo if he won. Palmer, who was first elected to the council in 2018, still has two years remaining on his term.

In northwest Rochester, Lutheran pastor Dan Doering defeated Mark Schleusner by more than 7 points to take the Ward 6 seat now held by embattled Council Member Molly Dennis.

On the city’s east side, business owner Andy Friederichs ousted Council Member Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick in Ward 4. The election, with 6,436 votes cast, was decided by 190 votes.

In Ward 2, on the western side of town, Nick Miller, a financial analyst, defeated Tripp Welch, an administrative leader at Mayo Clinic, by nearly 6 points.

Schubring, Doering and Miller were all endorsed by Faith in Minnesota, a progressive group that made inroads in Rochester this election cycle.

In the only two contested races for Olmsted County Board, incumbent Gregg Wright bested April Sutor in District 3, while Bob Hopkins topped Tawonda Burks in District 6.