Willmar attorney Jennifer "Jenna" Fischer was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's primary election for Kandiyohi County Attorney, pushing longtime County Attorney Boyd Beccue into a distant second place. Bradley Junkermeier, 57, came in third.
Fischer and Beccue will now duel for the job in the Nov. 2 general election.
Fischer, 44, who had worked under Beccue in the County Attorney's Office before doing a stint as a public defender and then moving into private practice in Willmar, unofficially had 3,259 votes, capturing 64 percent of the votes.
Beccue unofficially had 1,107 votes and 22 percent of the votes cast on Tuesday.
Beccue, who was assistant county attorney from 1979-82, followed by private practice from 1983-90, began serving as Kandiyohi County Attorney in 1990 after beating out two other candidates.
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This was the first time since the 1990 election that the 62-year-old Beccue has had a challenger.
Junkermeier, who's practiced law for 28 years and operates a solo law practice in Willmar, had 745 votes and 14 percent of the votes cast.
In a telephone interview Tuesday night, Fischer said she was "very encouraged" by the primary election results and would start campaigning for the general election today at the Kandiyohi County Fair.
"I believe this is going to be a spirited campaign in the next couple months," Fischer said. "It's not a done deal. It's the primary. We have a long road to go."
Fischer said she was pleased with the wide margin of her victory. "Obviously it's great news," she said. "It is a sign that my message is getting to people and that our citizens are ready for a change and ready for a fresh face."
Beccue declined to comment to the Tribune on Tuesday night.
In a brief interview, Junkermeier said he was disappointed with his third-place showing but said he was "grateful for the voters that did vote for me and had the confidence and trust in me."
He said running for office was an "interesting and more pleasant experience than people had predicted." He wished Fischer and Beccue "good luck" in the general election.
