Sen. Dornink’s neighbor speaks out against petition

(ABC 6 News) – One Minnesota State Senator is not only trying to convince voters why he’s the best candidate for the job but also where he lives.

A petition was filed last week claiming that District 23 Sen. Gene Dornink does not live in the district he represents.

The petition claims the senator lives in Hayfield, which would not make him eligible to file in this district.

ABC 6 News talked to Keith Haskell one of the people who filed the petition who says Sen. Dornink doesn’t actually live there. But, Dornink claims he moved to Brownsdale in May because Hayfield is no longer part of District 23. One of Dornink’s neighbors in Brownsdale supports that claim.

"I see him there in the mornings. I’ll go for a run in the mornings or a walk and wave. it’s like 630 in the morning and he’s coming out getting in his car to go to work," neighbor Nikki Phillips said. "So, I’ve seen him lots of times there. I’ve stopped by in the evenings and chatted. my family helped them move in, in early May."

The people who filed the petition said when they stopped by his Brownsdale address there was no sign of anyone living there. But, Phillips claims that they probably stopped by at the wrong time of day and Dornink was either working or campaigning.