Despite Wanting Out, Scofield Wins SD46 Republican Primary

Though he didn't really want to, Paul Scofield won the Senate District 46 Republican primary on Tuesday night and will face Democratic incumbent Sen. Ron Latz in November's general election.

Scofield took 56 percent of the vote, defeating Roger Champagne by a 544-420 margin.

Interestingly, Scofield announced at a July 24 candidates forum that he would actually be . Scofield said that Champagne—who is retiring from the Minneapolis Fire Department later this year—would have more time for the job, and added that the party should unite behind Champagne. Scofield also said he would have pulled out of the race had he not missed the deadline to do so. Local Republicans  to get behind Champagne.

"I guess Paul is our candidate now," said Mike Held, the district's Republican coordinator. "That's how it goes."

Held said he thought that Scofield might have carried a bit of name value with party voters, as he unsuccessfully ran against Latz in the 2010 general election.

"He was in shock that he won," Held said of his chat with Scofield on Tuesday night. "I said he's going to have to campaign. He's going to have to do it now."

Held added that Scofield told him he would be willing to actively campaign in an effort to unseat Latz, who was first elected to the state Senate in 2006. Latz defeated Scofield in 2010 with 65 percent of the vote. He did not have a primary opponent on Tuesday.

The 2012 Minnesota general election is on Nov. 6.