The string of special elections needed to replace departing legislators continues next week, when five DFL candidates face off in a primary in Senate District 59 in Minneapolis.

The winner will face Republican Ben Schwanke in the Jan. 10 special election, but it's such a DFL-dominated district that Tuesday's winner can start picking out curtains for the State Office Building space.

The candidates are  vying to replace former state Sen. Larry Pogemiller, who left to direct the Office of Higher Education in the governor's administration.

Running are:

• Kari Dziedzic, an aide to Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein
• Jacob Frey, a Minneapolis attorney
• Mohamud Noor, former Department of Human Services employee
• Paul Ostrow, assistant Anoka County attorney and former Minneapolis City Council president
• Peter Wagenius, policy director for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.

The Star Tribune and Politics in Minnesota both took recent looks at the primary candidates.