The Minnesota DFL held its single-seat majority in the state Senate by winning a special election in the west metro suburbs, but when results from Anoka County finally came in early Wednesday and the DFL held onto some battleground races, the House is currently tied.
Former Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart defeated GOP nominee Kathleen Fowke to hold the seat vacated by U.S. Rep.-elect Kelly Morrison. It was the only state Senate seat on the ballot but could have turned the Senate over to Republicans had Fowke won. The 45th Senate District hugs the shore of Lake Minnetonka and includes the towns of Excelsior, Deephaven, Wayzata, Tonka Bay and Mound.
But in the House, with the GOP needing four pickups to win control, the House GOP gained three in the Iron Range, St. Peter and Winona. But two other races with DFL incumbents have the party holding onto both — by 28 votes in District 14B and 13 in District 54A, according to unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State. Both are headed toward recounts.
The District 54A race between incumbent Rep. Brad Tabke and GOP challenger Aaron Paul featured a counting snafu by Scott County that first showed Paul winning, then zeroed out those vote totals and returned in the early morning with Tabke leading. County officials blamed an error in how early votes were processed.
Wrote Scott County elections administrator Julie Hanson: “There was a result upload that erroneously included partial results for precincts, which our system should have suppressed. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused and will rereport once counting is complete.”
In District 14B, now held by DFL Rep. Dan Wolgamott of St. Cloud, could provide that fourth flip. But after trailing by four votes in what appeared to be the final count, additional votes from Sherburne County gave Wolgamott a tiny lead. Either result would require a recount.
There are two types of recounts in state law — one funded by taxpayers, the other funded by a candidate. According to the Secretary of State’s office, a publicly funded recount for a state legislative office is triggered if the difference in the number of votes cast for the apparent winning candidate and any other candidate is less than one-half of 1% (0.5%).
But a losing candidate can request — and pay for — a recount of the entire district or individual precincts.
The last tie in the House came in 1979, and legislative historians have documented how that went.
But House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth earlier declared the GOP would break the DFL’s trifecta, expressing confidence the GOP would take four House seats.
“With 26A now in the GOP column & GOP wins in 41A & 41B, it appears that House Republicans have broken the Democrat trifecta in Minnesota with multiple DFL targets still outstanding,” Demuth said.
In speaking to supporters at GOP election night headquarters in Bloomington, Demuth said she’ll move forward with plans to take the majority when the rest of the numbers come through.
“Our job is to restore that balance. We need to make sure that your tax dollars are not being wasted. We need to make sure that our tax dollars are not going to fraud. We need to hold Gov. Walz when he comes back accountable,” she said, hinting at what at that point appeared to be a victory for former President Donald Trump.
Current House Speaker Melissa Hortman appeared to be resigned to her DFL majority slipping into the first partisan tie since 1979. Speaking to MPR News on Wednesday morning, the Brooklyn Park lawmaker said she expects to make it work with presumed House GOP co-speaker Lisa Demuth.
“I had a great relationship with Sen. Paul Gazelka when he was the Senate majority leader,” Hortman said. “We were able to govern Minnesota through COVID with bipartisan agreements. I have a great relationship with Lisa Demuth and we have a lot of mutual respect. Over the coming days we’ll take a look at how that would look in the Minnesota House.”
Hortman also described the coming session as one where policies adopted in the last two years will continue to be implemented. Even had the DFL held its trifecta, she said it would be a “less-change” session. There will need to be a two-year budget adopted but the DFL can defend against any attempts to undo the 2023-24 agenda.
Hortman said she is confident in at least a 67-67 tie and held out hope for either expanded leads in the two closest races and even a switch in other close races.
Despite close votes in the House, the Senate race was a clear victory for Ann Johnson Stewart.
“I could not be more grateful to voters across Senate District 45 for placing their trust in me,” she said in a statement Tuesday night. “Tonight’s results are clear: voters in our communities across the western suburbs want public servants that deliver, not divide. This is the honor of my life, and I’m excited to get to work not only for those who supported me, but for all residents of the district and every Minnesotan statewide.”
Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy told DFLers gathered at a downtown St. Paul hotel that the special election was not easy.
“We faced a well-funded, self-funding opponent. We got started late in the race, because it was a special election and we had our primary,” Murphy said. “But we have a tremendous candidate, an amazing team, who puts our all into this race.”
Whether the DFL holds the governing trifecta it won in 2022 wasn’t clear, she said.
“But what we can say for sure is this: For the last two years, we have done incredible work, amazing work for the people of Minnesota. We have made progress that will last for generations to come.”
Speaking to MPR News on Wednesday morning, Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said while Fowke wasn’t able to win in District 45, she outperformed Trump in the district. Of a potential tie in the House, Johnson said it will be an interesting year.
“Hopefully this is an opportunity to work in a bipartisan manner,” he said.
Since winning the majority in the 2018 election, the DFL caucus has controlled the Minnesota House. But the difference between the 2018 and 2020 elections and the aftermath of the 2022 election is that the DFL won the majority in the Senate, crafting the first DFL trifecta — House, Senate and governor — in a decade.
MinnPost reporters Ava Kian and Winter Keefer contributed to this report.
Peter Callaghan
Peter Callaghan covers state government for MinnPost. Follow him on Twitter @CallaghanPeter or email him at pcallaghan@minnpost.com.
