The state Campaign Finance Board says allegations warrant further investigation of the D-F-L candidate who’s running in a special election in Senate District 13 in central Minnesota — a contest that will decide whether Republicans or Democrats control the Minnesota Senate. The complaint alleges Joe Perske of Sartell reused signs from an earlier run for Congress and accepted free radio airtime. Perske says, “They’ll find out that I’m just a frugal guy and that there was really no wrongdoing in what I’d actually done.”
Senate Republican Leader Paul Gazelka says Perske was also sued by a former campaign employee when he didn’t pay her for work on his 2014 congressional campaign.
Perske is running against Republican Jeff Howe of Rockville for the Senate seat formerly held by Paynesville Republican Michelle Fischbach.