A city councilor and a former mayor have moved onto an August mayoral special election in Ely.
Councilor Heidi Omerza finished atop a crowded primary field Tuesday with 203 votes, followed by former mayor Roger Skraba (146). The two candidates advanced to the Aug. 10 special election, which became necessary after Erik Urbas declined the job citing health reasons after the 2020 General Election.
Omerza won her council seat in 2014 before losing in the DFL House Seat 03A special primary to current state Rep. Rob Ecklund and then winning her reelection to the council in 2018.
Skraba was a council member for seven years in the 1990s, before serving as mayor in the mid-2000s. He lost the mayoral seat to Chuck Novak in 2004, returned to defeat him in 2006 and won reelection in 2008, before losing to Ross Petersen in 2012.