Minnesota House looks to be tied for the first time since 1979

Control of the Minnesota House is tied at 67 to 67 seats, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office.

Results on Wednesday morning show Republicans flipping three seats: one each in the Iron Range (7B), Winona (26A) and St. Peter (18A) Minnesota. The turnover marks the first time since 1979 since the Minnesota House has been faced with a tie.

Game plans moving forward are unclear. Minnesota law doesn’t explicitly state protocol, and the last time the House tied it created a ripple effect of intense negotiations, tug-o-war over committees and lawsuits over unfair campaign practices.

Results Wednesday morning also showed several races — 14B, 54A, and 3B — remaining close and likely heading to a recount. The closest of these races was in Shakopee (54A) where DFL incumbent Rep. Brad Tabke leads candidate Aaron Paul by 13 votes.

Recounts for all seats can occur if the results are within a margin of 0.5% and one of the candidates has requested the recount, according to the Secretary of State. These recounts must occur within 48 hours of the county canvassing board meeting, which is set for Nov. 8.

Senate control

The DFL has maintained control of the Senate by taking District 45’s special election, early results show. DFLer Ann Johnson Stewart came out on top by 5%, besting Republican Kathleen Fawke. The special election was prompted by Kelly Morrison’s bid for Congress, which Morrison unofficially won as well on Tuesday.

The potential for divided power is something that GOP leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Springs, said she feels is an asset to Minnesotans. In October, she told Forum News Service that “Divided government will make sure that all voices in Minnesota are heard.”

Minnesota has had a DFL governor and blue-majority House and Senate since 2022.

In a statement before all unofficial results came on Tuesday night, Demuth said “Tonight, House Republicans broke the DFL trifecta and restored balance to Minnesota.”

On the other hand, Majority Leader Mellissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, has said that a trifecta has seemed necessary in recent years to get work done. Hortman has explained that a divided government from 2019 to 2022 created a lot of “gridlock.”

After the Senate’s DFL clinch, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St.Paul, spoke on the possibility of a divided government as well, mirroring Hortman’s statements over lack of productivity.

“One thing that was different in these last two years, with our governing majorities, we made progress for Minnesotans, rather than getting married in gridlock and obstruction,” Murphy said. “I have served in the Legislature for almost two decades and have worked in unified government and divided government … and if Minnesotans are front and center and we set our politics aside, we will make progress for them.”

Murphy said that despite the unknown fate of the House, the Senate DFL will continue to push for legislation centered on infrastructure, climate change, youth, and health care access.

Sen. Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, congratulated Stewart on her win in a statement on Tuesday night, also saying that the results of the race — decided by 5% — “clearly show there is still a growing concern among Minnesotans about single-party Democrat control and their extreme agenda.”

“Senate Republicans will continue to address the high cost of living, growing public safety concerns, and ensuring all Minnesotans have a government that works for them, and we hope Democrats join us in bipartisanship,” Johnson said.

Demuth told Forum News Service in October that Republicans would like to address the economy, education, tax cuts and immigration with the power they have next session. Demuth said frustration from Republicans has focused on government spending and fraud during the last two years of the DFL trifecta.

The legislative session starts Jan. 13.