On Thursday morning, the House and Senate met in a joint session to vote on a regent for the First Congressional District. Earlier in the week, a legislative group had narrowed the contestants down to two, Mary Davenport and Brooks Edwards. Ms. Davenport has an extensive history in the higher ed field. Dr. Edwards is a cardiologist at Mayo. From my viewpoint, most of the legislators from CD1 were primarily supporting Davenport.
Randy Simonson, who has a doctorate degree in Veterinary Microbiology from the University and works in the animal health industry, had also been a candidate. However, it seems some legislators were alarmed by his comments about restricting research at the U, closing campuses, and management preferences.
On the floor, Randy Simonson was nominated by Rep. Drew Christiansen (R). When the dust settled, Simonson was declared the new regent. The final vote was essentially along party lines.