Republicans aim to dismantle DFL trifecta at the Minnesota Capitol
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Lost in the drama of an unprecedented presidential race, and buried beneath the races for U.S. Congress are contests where many people couldn't identify who the candidates are.
This November, the entire 134-member House is on the ballot. Meanwhile, the state Senate and the governor's race are not on the ballot until 2026.
Right now, the DFL has total control of state government. Democrats want to keep it that way, but Republicans are hoping to flip the House.
If you have any doubts as to why control of the Minnesota House matters, consider the 2023 legislative session. That is when the DFL trifecta passed everything from paid family and sick leave, legalizing marijuana, codifying abortion rights, drivers licenses for the undocumented, free college tuition for those with low incomes, restored voting rights for felons, free school meals for all students, gun control including a red flag law and background checks for private gun sales and more.
For Democrats, it was a progressive wish list delivered. For Gov. Tim Walz, it was a springboard to a vice presidential pick. But for Republicans, it was a conservative's big government nightmare come to life.
The DFL currently holds a four-seat majority in the House, a slim margin that Republicans are working feverishly to upend and Democrats like House Majority Leader Jamie Long are fighting just as hard to keep.
"Which means two votes in my math, in the House. And so it is, is a close majority and we're not taking it for granted. We're going to fight hard to make sure we're keeping it," said Long.
Republicans think the majority is within their reach. They point to districts like 26A in Winona, where DFL Rep. Gene Pelowski is retiring after nearly 40 years of service. Pelowski is a Democrat, but the area around Winona is solid conservative country.
"We know that we had about four seats that we lost with 1,500 votes or less. So when we look at the numbers from last time, we definitely are targeting different districts based on those numbers," said House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth. "Rep. Pelowski's district down in Winona, we were already targeting before he announced his retirement."
With retiring lawmakers, comes the opportunity for new candidates to fill those emptied seats. Those candidates will have to campaign in districts where every vote counts, and name recognition even more.
"You're going to see a lot of individuals step up who are really known in their communities. And I think that's the difference. You know, most folks have never met Kamala Harris. Most folks have never met, you know, these national figures. But most folks have met these people running for local office," said Democratic strategist Abou Amara. "And some of these high-caliber candidates, you really want them to be tied in with their communities so that when they go to vote, people will be like, 'You know what? I recognize that name. I know that guy,' and hopefully that can cut through and make the difference."
While eyes on are the Minnesota House races, Republican strategist Amy Koch says you have to keep an eye on the Senate, especially if there's a special election. This would be the case if the Harris-Walz ticket were to win in November.
The state constitution says in the event of a vacancy, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan would become governor, and the president of the state, Senate, Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, would elevate to lieutenant governor.
If that were the case, the Senate would be split 33-33 at the start of the January session with a special election at the same time.