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
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
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
| 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
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
- ^ 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.