Aaron Repinski
Aaron Repinski | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 26A district | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Gene Pelowski |
| Winona City Council member | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 's at-large district | |
| In office 2021–2025 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Schollmeier |
| Succeeded by | Jason Dicus[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1972 or 1973 (age 51–52) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Michelle |
| Residence(s) | Winona, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Education | Cotter High School (secondary) Winona State University (A.A.) |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | Government website Campaign website |
Aaron Repinski (born c. 1972) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represents District 26A, located in Winona County in southwestern Minnesota.[2][3]
Early life, education and career
[edit]Repinski grew up in Winona, Minnesota, where he attended Cotter High School. He received an associate's degree at Winona State University. Earlier in life, he was a firefighter in Winona and in Fountain City, Wisconsin.[2]
In 2020, he ran for the at-large district of the Winona City Council and defeated incumbent Paul Schollmeier for the seat by over eleven percentage points.[4]
Minnesota House of Representatives
[edit]In 2024, after 38 years in office, Gene Pelowski of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, representative for Legislative District 26A in the Minnesota House of Representatives, retired and did not seek re-election.[5] District 26A was quickly identified as a potential flip for the Republican Party: although Pelowski had won by over 10 points in 2022, the Winona area been trending conservative in recent years.[6][7]
Repinski ran for the seat in the 2024 election, defeating S. James Doerr in the Republican primary.[8] He then won the general election by five points[9] over Fair Vote Minnesota leader Sarah Kreuger (DFL).[10] This result was a sixteen-point swing in favor of the Republican Party, one of the largest swings in the house that year.[11]
Electoral history
[edit]| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Repinski | 6,559 | 55.70 | |
| Paul Schollmeier | 5,171 | 43.92 | |
| Write-in | 45 | 0.38 | |
| Total votes | 11,775 | 100.0 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Aaron Repinski | 2,247 | 86.69% | |
| Republican | S. James Doerr | 345 | 13.31% | |
| Total votes | 2,592 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Aaron Repinski | 12,240 | 52.74 | |||
| Democratic (DFL) | Sarah Kruger | 10,916 | 47.04 | |||
| Write-in | 52 | 0.22 | ||||
| Total votes | 23,208 | 100.00 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | ||||||
Personal life
[edit]Repinski lives in Winona with his wife Michelle. He is a member of the Basilica of Saint Stanislaus Kostka,[2] a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church.[13] He is the owner of Winona Tour Boat, a company offering Mississippi River cruises.[1] He also officiates weddings and has a hypnosis act.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Rogers, Chris; Retter, Alexandra; Hathaway, Gabriel (November 6, 2024). "Election results: Hedin wins WAPS write-in". Winona Post. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Repinski, Aaron - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ "Rep. Repinski, Aaron (26A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ Retter, Alexandra; Rogers, Chris (August 16, 2021). "Sherman wins; local election results final". Winona Post. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ Tribune, Trey Mewes Star (January 18, 2024). "Winona legislator retires after 38 years". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ Bierschbach, Briana; Albertson-Grove, Josie; Nehil, Tom; Brussee, Bryan; Lin, Ellie (August 30, 2024). "The races that could determine control of the Minnesota Legislature". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ McVan, Madison (July 15, 2024). "With no DFL endorsement, race to replace longtime DFL rep from Winona is wide open • Minnesota Reformer". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
- ^ a b "2024 State Primary Results for All State Representative Races". Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ a b "2024 Results for All State Representative Races". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Kruger for MN House". Kruger for MN House. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Ingraham, Christopher (November 7, 2024). "Average Minnesota legislative seat swung 2 points to the right, data show". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Results for Selected Contests in 71032 - Winona". Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ "Praise from the Pope". Winona Post. December 24, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ Griffith, Michelle (November 15, 2024). "The newbies: Get to know a few newly elected Minnesota lawmakers". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved January 30, 2025.