Top Minnesota politics moments in 2024: Walz for vice president, legislative chaos and more
MINNEAPOLIS — From Gov. Tim Walz becoming the Democratic nominee for vice president to the whirlwind conclusion of Minnesota's legislative session, 2024 was packed with political highlights in the state.
Here's a look back at some of the biggest moments of the year.
2024 Election
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her vice presidential running mate, putting the state in the national spotlight for the 2024 presidential election.
President-elect Donald Trump would go on to win the November election thanks, in part, to the battleground state of Wisconsin flipping in favor of Trump. However, the Minnesota section of the "blue wall" held on Election Day, marking the 13th straight presidential race where the Democratic candidate won the state — and the seventh time that candidate lost.
Trump wasted little time after becoming president-elect to start announcing picks for his cabinet. Just one week after the election, Trump announced he would be selecting Minnesotan Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense. The Fox News Channel host was valedictorian at Forest Lake High School and was a member of the Minnesota National Guard.
On a state level, a close House race has resulted in a court battle.
Incumbent DFL Rep. Brad Tabke beat GOP candidate Aaron Paul by 14 votes and maintained his lead after a recount in the race for House District 54A covering Shakopee. Now, Paul is asking a judge to invalidate the results after an investigation by county officials found 21 missing ballots were likely thrown away in the trash and cannot be recovered.
If the results are invalidated, the seat would be declared vacant and a special election would happen sometime early next year.
On Dec. 20, a judge ruled that DFL state Representative-elect Curtis Johnson did not meet residency requirements for the district he won and is not eligible to serve in that office.
Johnson won the race for Minnesota House District 40B covering Roseville and parts of Shoreview, but did not live in the district six months before the election as is required by the state constitution, the judge said. DFL House Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman says Johnson will appeal the decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Around 45,000 Minnesota Democrats voted for "uncommitted" instead of incumbent President Biden during the presidential primary in March. The votes were the result of an effort by Uncommitted MN, a group protesting Biden's stance on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Chaotic end to Minnesota legislative session
In May, political tensions reached a boiling point over a last-minute decision by Democrats to put their unfinished priorities into one bill to get them across the finish line.
Democrats bypassed debate and went straight to a vote on a tax bill in which they added provisions from eight other proposals. The move resulted in a descension into chaos in the Minnesota Legislature.
Democrats said the state House did what was needed to pass their agenda, while Republicans were yelling "tyranny" and "communism" in the final minutes of the session, seeking motions to stop the vote.
What bills did and didn't pass the Minnesota Legislature this year?
PASSED
- Minimum wage for rideshare drivers raised to $1.28 per mile.
- Tougher penalties for straw gun buyers.
- Cannabis regulations have been updated with the rollout of the state's legal market in 2025.
- Consumer protections for ticket buyer.
- Use-of-force standards clarification for school resource officers.
- Changes to child welfare system to curb racial disparities.
- Changes to insurance coverage for abortion, wigs, gender-affirming care and orthotics and prosthetics.
DIDN'T PASS
- Amendment enshrining equal rights in the state constitution.
- Bonding bill funding local infrastructure projects.
- Safe storage and mandatory reporting of lost and stolen firearms.
- Insurance coverage for infertility treatment.
- $15 minimum wage.
- Universal basic income pilot program.
- Medical aid in dying.
- Sports gambling bill.
New laws in effect in 2024
- Most Minnesota workers will now accrue up to six days of paid time off if they're sick or caring for a loved one.
- Schools are now required to provide free menstrual products to students.
- Family members or law enforcement can petition a judge to take away guns from someone deemed to be a danger to themselves or others under the "red flag" law.
- Minnesotans are paying 50 cents more for some large package deliveries.
- Plain language standards have been implemented on the written portion of driver's license tests.
- The Debt Fairness Act prohibits reporting medical debt to credit bureaus and transferring of medical debt to spouses.
- See a full list here.
Other headlines
In April, Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, was charged with first-degree burglary. According to the criminal complaint, Mitchell is accused of burgling her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes. Mitchell has pleaded not guilty, denied stealing and stayed in office despite calls from Democrats and Republicans for her to resign.
Cannabis regulators are pushing a plan for the initial rollout of the state's legal marijuana market to spring of next year following a judge's decision to halt a planned lottery last month to choose the first business license holders.
The state's new flag and state seal are now in official use, following months of meetings, spirited debates, design submissions and an attempt by some Republican lawmakers to halt the flag's rollout.
Minnesota is expected to have a $616 million surplus in the next two-year budget, according to the latest forecast, but state officials say there is a looming $5 billion deficit in future years.
