Senator Neuville appointed to Rice Co. bench

State Sen. Tom Neuville (R-Northfield), a 6-term member of the Minnesota Senate, was appointed to a Third Judicial District seat by Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday, Nov. 27. Neuville will serve out of Rice County.

Neuville was first elected to the senate in 1990, and was reelected in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2006. He represents Senate District 25, which covers all of Le Sueur County and portions of Rice, Scott and Sibley counties.

Gov. Pawlenty has called for a special election to be held Thursday, Jan. 3 in District 25. The filing period for the election begins Thursday, Nov. 29, and ends at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6. Candidates can withdraw until 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7.

Candidates must file at the Secretary of State's office in St. Paul.

If there are two or more candidates from any of the major political parties, a special primary election will be held Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Neuville's resignation from his senate seat has set two campaigns into motion. Anne Miller, of Northfield, has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday evening in Northfield where she was expected to announce she is running as a Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate. Another press conference was scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m., where former State Rep. Ray Cox (R-Northfield) was expected to announce he is running for the seat.