The Ballot Brief
Goodhue County, Minnesota

Judge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 4

One candidate is tracked for Judge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 4, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Tracy Perzel. Candidate information follows official Goodhue County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Tracy Perzel is the only name on the ballot for this seat; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected, so the race is on the November 3, 2026 ballot but is not contested. Minnesota's 1st Judicial District covers Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott and Sibley counties; judges are elected at large across the whole district, so every voter there, not just voters in one county, votes on this seat. Minnesota judicial elections are nonpartisan and decided by plurality, with no runoff. Listed from the Secretary of State's certified general-election candidate table.

What this office does

Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.

This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels. One name is on the ballot for this seat.

Minnesota › Goodhue County › Judge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 4

Tracy Perzel

Nonpartisan

Biography

Tracy Perzel is a judge of the Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Dakota County District Court by Governor Mark Dayton on Jan. 2, 2019, and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously criminal division chief and senior litigation counsel at the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Next on your ballotJudge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 6

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Judge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 4 in 2026?

One candidate is tracked for Judge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 4, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Tracy Perzel. Candidate information follows official Goodhue County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Judge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 4 election in Minnesota?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Minnesota are on the Minnesota election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Goodhue County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Goodhue County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Minnesota election office, or see the full Goodhue County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Goodhue County ballot

27 tracked races in Goodhue County, Minnesota. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Judge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 7Judge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 9Judge, Minnesota 1st Judicial District Court, Seat 12See all 27 Goodhue County races
Candidate profiles
Tracy Perzel, full profileOfficial Minnesota election office