Swanson wins election, will continue to represent Ward 3

The only thing Chris Swanson lost in Tuesday's special election was the "interim" title for the Ward 3 Cloquet City Council seat.

Swanson garnered 84 votes to 14 for Uriah Wilkinson on Tuesday, out of a possible 1,299 registered voters in Cloquet's Ward 3.

Swanson was pleased to win, but also praised Wilkinson, father of five and a Realtor in the area for the last 15 years.

"I have Uriah's sons in class right now. They are wonderful and lovely human beings," said Swanson, a history and government teacher at Cloquet High School. "I think Uriah has done well with them, and he's a great guy. I suspect we agree on more than not."

Swanson was appointed to the Ward 3 seat on an interim basis after Dakota Koski bought a house outside of Ward 3 and had to step down seven months after taking office. Now that he's been elected, Swanson's term will run through 2022.

Wilkinson congratulated Swanson, saying he has no doubt that his opponent "will be a good councilor." He said he will continue to be involved.

"I will continue to serve the public in whatever capacity I am able, until such time, my contributions as a public servant become irrelevant or a personal detriment to my family," said Wilkinson, who's served on the Cloquet Planning Commission for the last nine years along with a number of other .

On the not-so-bright side, voter participation in the special election was abysmal.

According to the county auditor's office, only 10 absentee ballots were cast before Tuesday. Exactly 88 people physically voted at Cloquet City Hall Tuesday, putting the total number of votes cast at 98, or about 75 percent.

That's actually 87 fewer votes than were cast in the November primary election.

Wilkinson wasn't surprised.

"Going to the polls in mid-February to vote for a single issue on the ballot leaves participation to a few family and friends and those who are more immersed with the ongoings of local politics," he told the Pine Knot.

Swanson admitted a little disappointment in the low voter numbers, both as a candidate and a government teacher.

"That's disappointing when there's so much opportunity and you pour so much time and heart out and less than 100 people make it," he told the Pine Knot News Tuesday night. "Then again, I understand people are really busy, I talked to someone who meant to go but couldn't in the end. I'd like to thank people for showing up, for the support and all the phone calls over the last several months."

Born and raised here, the 1995 Cloquet grad has been teaching at his alma mater since 2001 and has been involved in various volunteer and union positions over the years. Before the primary, he said he tried to knock on almost every door in Ward 3, which extends from Highway 33 to 14th Street, and Doddridge Avenue to the St. Louis River. He's gained experience during his time as interim councilor for Ward 3, with the council tackling a number of issues.

Now that he's in the seat for the next three years, Swanson said he's ready to move forward and keep trying "to restore trust in city government."

"I think last year's election showed that's what people want," he said. "I hope to be part of that sea change over the next three years."

There was no big celebration for Swanson following Tuesday's election.

"I'm going to enjoy a relaxing night with my wife and kids," he said, adding that constituents and others are welcome to call his cell phone at 218-390-2010 or email him at [email protected].

The council will meet to canvas the votes at 10 a.m. Friday.