Four candidates seek Red Wing mayoral seat
Four people want to to be Red Wing's next mayor, and chances are good that whoever wins will not have a connection to the frac sand mining industry.
Red Wing residents Dan Bender and Ernest W. Stone filed the necessary paperwork with the city clerk's office on April 2; John M. Sachen filed on April 4; and Christopher L. Nelson filed on April 9.
The filing period ends at 5 p.m. April 16 and the special election is scheduled for June 11.
Former Mayor Dennis Egan stepped down in February amid controversy after he became executive director of the Minnesota Industrial Sand Council.
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(MPR Photo/ Elizabeth Baier)
At the time, Egan said his new job as a lobbyist was not a conflict of interest, but several members of the Red Wing City Council objected before he resigned from the position.
Red Wing is one of a number of Minnesota communities where silica sand mining has become a contentious issue. The silica sand is used to extract oil and natural gas through a process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
City Clerk Kathy Johnson told the Rochester Post-Bulletin the special election will cost the city as much as $25,000.