Special elections to fill Cornish, Schoen seats set for Feb. 12

Gov. Mark Dayton has set Feb. 12, 2018, as the date for special elections to fill an open House and soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat.

A special election in south-central Minnesota will fill the District 23B vacancy created when Rep. Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center) resigned last week.

On the Senate side, a special election is needed to fill the seat that will be vacated by Sen. Dan Schoen (DFL-St. Paul Park) on Dec. 15.

Both men resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

The filing period for each race will occur Jan. 8-11. A primary, if needed, is scheduled for Jan. 29.

The 2018 legislative session is scheduled to begin at noon on Feb. 20. Lawmakers must complete their work by May 21, 2018.