Sartell Mayor Joe Perske Announces Bid For Congress

SARTELL - Sartell Mayor Joe Perske has officially announced his candidacy for Congress.  It's a move he's hinted at ever since Sixth District Congresswoman Michele Bachmann announced she was not seeking re-election.

Perske is running as a Democrat.

He was a member of the Sartell city council for six years before being elected Mayor three years ago.

Perske has also taught and coached in the Sartell-St. Stephen school district for the past 25 years.

Two other Democrats have already announced they are running: Jim Read who is a professor at St. John's University, and Judy Adams of Circle Pines.

There's also three remaining candidates on the Republican side: former Gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer of Delano, the head of the "Taxpayers League" Phil Kinkie, and Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah.  St. Cloud State Senator John Pederson has dropped out of the race.