# John Petersburg

John Petersburg (born April 8, 1952) is an American politician who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2013 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Petersburg represented District 19B in southeast-central Minnesota, including the cities of Owatonna and Waseca and parts of Steele and Waseca Counties.

## Early life, education and career

Petersburg was born in Owatonna, Minnesota and attended Claremont High School. He attended Minnesota State University, Mankato, graduating with a B.S. in public administration and paralegal studies. Petersburg was a church administrator at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna for 21 years. He served on the Dodge Center School Board during the 1980s and '90s.

## Minnesota House of Representatives

Petersburg was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2012, following redistricting and the retirement of incumbent Kory Kath, and was elected every two years until his retirement in 2024.
In 2017-18, Petersburg served as vice-chair of the Transportation Finance Committee. Later, he was the minority lead on the Transportation Finance and Policy Committee and sat on the Housing Finance and Policy and Ways and Means Committees.

## Electoral history

2012 Minnesota State House - District 24A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Petersburg | 9,906 | 52.18 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Craig Brenden | 9,036 | 47.60 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 41 | 0.22 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 18,983 | 100.0 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) |
2014 Minnesota State House - District 24A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Petersburg (incumbent) | 7,202 | 54.73 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Beverly Cashman | 5,949 | 45.21 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 7 | 0.05 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 13,158 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2016 Minnesota State House - District 24A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Petersburg (incumbent) | 11,156 | 56.87 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Beverly Cashman | 8,439 | 43.02 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 21 | 0.11 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,616 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2018 Minnesota State House - District 24A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Petersburg (incumbent) | 10,197 | 60.60 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Joe Heegard | 6,616 | 39.32 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 13 | 0.08 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,826 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2020 Minnesota State House - District 24A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Petersburg (incumbent) | 13,066 | 61.15 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Tom Shea | 8,281 | 38.76 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 19 | 0.09 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,366 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2022 Minnesota State House - District 19B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Petersburg (incumbent) | 12,765 | 71.12 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Abdulahi Ali Osman | 5,166 | 28.78 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 18 | 0.10 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,949 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Personal life

Petersburg is married to his wife, Susan. They have eight children and reside in Waseca, Minnesota. He is Lutheran.