State Senate Minnesota
Minnesota appears to be headed for divided government again, with control of the House split 67-67 in unofficial results.
In the Senate, Democrats have a one-seat majority after Ann Johnson Stewart won a special election in the western suburbs around Lake Minnetonka.
Republicans flipped at least three seats in the House, but need to four to gain control of the chamber. Many races remained uncalled late Tuesday night, and DFL candidates declared victory Wednesday in two tight races to determine control of the House.
DFL incumbents Representatives Brad Tabke, of Shakopee, and Dan Wolgamott, of St. Cloud, both announced victories in races that will head to official recounts before the results are certified.
Tabke is currently leading Republican challenger Aaron Paul by 13 voters in District 54A, according to unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State. Wolgamott has a 28-vote unofficial lead over Republican Sue Ek.
A Republican victory in either contest would give the GOP control of the House of Representatives.
Those recounts will likely occur later in November, according to the Secretary of State. Wolgamott’s District 14A surrounding St. Cloud includes Benton, Sherburne and Stearns counties, which means recounts won’t happen until all those counties meet to certify results, sometime after November 21. Shakopee is in Scott County, which will certify its results on November 13.
Minnesota last had a tied House of Representatives in 1979, according to House archives.
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, members of the DFL People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus campaigned across the state to turn out votes for Democrats, according to Rep. Jay Xiong, DFL-St. Paul, who won a fourth term.
Xiong led the caucus’ Asian American outreach effort and spent the weeks leading up to the election campaigning in his home district on St. Paul’s East Side and throughout the state.
“We know that every single vote in every single district matters,” Xiong said, ahead of Election Day.
The POCI worked to elect Democrats statewide and to ensure that current caucus members held their seats. New members included Huldeth Hiltsley, who won her race for District 38A, covering parts of Brooklyn Park and Osseo. She will be Minnesota’s first Kenyan American legislator .
But Somali American candidate Abdi Daisane failed to flip a central Minnesota seat in District 14B. Incumbent Bernie Perryman held onto her seat, which includes parts of St. Cloud, Waite Park and St. Augusta.
Democrats campaigned heavily on reproductive rights, and heard fears from voters about a federal abortion ban should Republicans retake national office.
This is part of Sahan Journal’s live election coverage.
