Republican Keri Heintzeman easily won a special election for a north-central Minnesota Senate seat on Tuesday night, filling a vacancy that was created by former GOP Sen. Justin Eichorn’s resignation.

Republican Keri Heintzeman is projected to beat Democrat Denise Slipy with more than 60% of the vote to replace Eichorn in Senate District 6.

A special election to fill the seat vacated by Justin Eichorn is happening Tuesday. Republican candidate Keri Heintzeman is squaring off against DFL candidate Denise Slipy. Eichorn resigned from his Minnesota Senate seat after an arrest for alleged soliciting a child prostitute.