Voters in Washington and Ramsey counties decide 3 judicial races

Voters in Ramsey and Washington counties had to decide three contested judicial races this election season.

In the 10th Judicial District, voters chose between Washington County District Judge Helen Brosnahan and her challenger, self-employed civil and criminal attorney Nathan Hansen.

At press time, Brosnahan was leading Hansen by nearly 13%, with 249 of 409 precincts reported on the state’s Secretary of State website.

Hansen sought and received the Minnesota GOP recommendation for the judicial district, which encompasses Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties. Hansen said he believes the designation is an advantage, adding that on average 65% of the district’s voters are Republicans.

Brosnahan, who’s been an appointed judge just shy of three years, took the opposite approach to her first campaign in that regard. She said the judiciary should not be politicized, adding she hasn’t sought and won’t accept a political party’s backing.

In Ramsey County, Judge Timothy Carey, who was appointed to the bench in 2022, was leading challenger Paul Yang, an attorney in private practice, by 23% with 49 of 162 precincts reported.

Judge Timothy Mulrooney, who was appointed to the bench in 2016, was leading 2021 college graduate Winona Yang by 19%. Her work includes being a legislative aide to Ramsey County Commissioner Mai Chong Xiong, the first Hmong county board member in Ramsey County.

Running unopposed were Ramsey County judges DeAnne Hilgers, Jacob Kraus, Maria Mitchell, Laura Nelson, Stephen Smith, Adam C. Yang and P. Paul Yang.

Fourteen 10th Judicial District judges ran unopposed: John Klossner, Dyanna Street, Todd Schoffelman, Kari Willis, John Bowen, Sean Gibbs, Jennifer Stanfield, Siv Mjanger, Kristi Stanislawski, Brianne Buccicone, Jason Steffen, Bridgid Dowdal, Heather Wynn and Kevin J. Mueller.

Judges in the Minnesota court system are elected to six-year terms.

Mulrooney touted his legal and judicial experience in his campaign against Yang, a 2021 graduate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law whose legal experience includes representing low-income individuals through the appellate public defender’s office.

Mulrooney has been an attorney for 30 years and a judicial officer for 16 years, the last eight as a judge. A former prosecutor for Minneapolis and Hennepin County, he joined the Henson Efron firm in 2000, then became a Family Court Referee in Hennepin County.

As a judge appointed by former Gov. Mark Dayton, he has served in all eight of the court’s divisions and presided over criminal, family, civil, juvenile, child protection and civil commitment cases. He is currently assigned to the Behavioral Health Unit, where he sits on treatment courts, Criminal Incompetency (“Rule 20”) and Civil Commitment courts.

“I am proven,” he told the Pioneer Press last month. “I am experienced, respected and fair.”

Winona Yang said she has leveraged her passion for service and her legal experience “as a means to promote equity and expand access to justice. Becoming a district court judge would allow me to bring this perspective to the bench.”

“My decades of service to the community, as a probation officer and an assistant county attorney, combined with my time on the bench, allowed me the time to familiarize myself with the resources available, along a broad continuum of options, to meet our diverse community’s needs,” he told the Pioneer Press.

Paul Yang entered the race with a combined 15-plus years in legal and community work, from administrative to appellate level cases. He founded his law firm in 2016, after working as an associate for an established general practice law firm.

For complete results from county, city and school board races, go to twincities.com/news/politics/elections.