Politics
Minnesota House and Senate election, 2022
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Along with the governor’s office, control of the two chambers was in the hands of the voters this year. Minnesota government has most often been divided, but after this year’s election Minnesota Democrats have gained the trifecta of control of the Governor’s office as well as both the state House and Senate for the first time since 2013.
In partnership with Minnesota Public Radio News, we have assembled a list of candidates, as well as the partisan lean and the race outcomes, for the Minnesota state House and Senate elections. All districts in the two chambers were on the ballot this year due to redistricting: this election was the first under newly drawn voting districts arising from the 2020 Census.
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Democrat-Farmer-Labor caucus retained its control of the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 2022 election, with 70 seats compared to the 64 seats secured by Republicans in the 134-member body.
In 2020, 70 DFLers were elected, compared to 64 Republicans. According to the state’s Legislative Reference Library, due to shifts in affiliation and a resignation, just prior to election the House includes 69 members in the DFL caucus, 59 in the Republican caucus, six members who caucus independently of the two major parties and one vacancy.
Partisan lean, candidates and outcome by House district
District boundaries were redrawn this year, so the outcomes of past Minnesota House elections are less relevant than the general partisan lean as indicated by the presidential voting patterns of those living within the new boundaries. So, for context we have labeled each new district’s partisan lean:
Democrat if the district favored Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020 (65 districts);
Republican if the district favored Trump in both 2016 and 2020 (57 districts);
Split if the district favored Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020 (12 districts; no districts went for Clinton in 2016 and Trump in 2020).
As reported by MPR News, Democrats were hoping to flip 12 seats currently held by Republicans that favored Clinton in 2016 according to the newly-drawn district boundaries. Similarly, Republicans were eyeing seven DFL House seats where Donald Trump won in 2016 according to the new boundaries.
The following table is searchable and sortable (click on column headers). Some notable House election results include:
Three races were won by especially close margins. According to the Secretary of State’s office (as of Nov. 22):
In District 41A, Republican Mark Wiens prevailed by only 128 votes over DFLer Pat Driscoll.
In District 3B, Republican Natalie Zeleznikar prevailed by only 33 votes over DFLer Mary Murphy. [Note: This margin of victory was confirmed through an official recount on Dec. 7]
In District 3A, Republican Roger Skraba prevailed by only 15 votes over DFLer Rob Ecklund. [Note: This margin of victory was confirmed through an official recount on Dec. 7]
Only two Republicans won in a district that leaned Democrat in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections: Natalie Zeleznikar in District 3B and Jeff Dotseth in District 11A.
Only one DFLer won in a district that leaned Republican in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections: incumbent David Lislegard in Iron Range District 7A.
Among the 12 House districts that went for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020:
Six voted in DFL candidates, including four where Republicans were unseated.
Six voted in Republicans, all of which were open seats.
Of the 23 House candidates that were involved with election denial activities related to the 2020 presidential election, ten were elected into office.
Third party candidates by House district, not listed in the table above:
5B, Gregg Hendrickson, Independence-Alliance
20A, Roger Kittelson, Independent
44B, TJ Hawthorne, Libertarian Party
53A, Brent Jacobson, Legal Marijuana Now
53B, Laura Pride, Legal Marijuana Now
54B, Ryan Martin, Legal Marijuana Now
65A, Miki Frost, Legal Marijuana Now
Minnesota Senate
The Democrat-Farmer-Labor caucus gained control of the Minnesota Senate in the 2022 election. The DFL won by a very narrow margin, winning only the minimum 34 seats necessary to hold a majority in the 67-seat body, and including winning two of those seats by less than 350 votes.
Until the new members are seated in 2023, Minnesota’s 67-seat Senate will remain controlled by the Republican caucus.
In 2020, 34 Republicans were elected, compared to 33 DFLers. According to the state’s Legislative Reference Library, due to shifts in affiliation and deaths, just prior to election the Senate included 34 members in the Republican caucus, 31 in the DFL caucus, one independent and one vacancy.
Partisan lean, candidates & outcome for Minnesota Senate districts
District boundaries were redrawn this year, so the outcomes of past Minnesota Senate elections are less relevant than the general partisan lean as indicated by the presidential voting patterns of those living within the new boundaries. So, for context we have labeled each new district’s partisan lean:
Democrat if the district favored Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020 (30 districts);
Republican if the district favored Trump in both 2016 and 2020 (31 districts);
Split if the district favored Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020 (6 districts; no districts went for Clinton in 2016 and Trump in 2020).
According to MPR News the ten Minnesota Senate races to watch included two in the northeast and six in the Twin Cities suburbs.
The following table is searchable and sortable (click on column headers). Some notable Senate election results include:
Two races were won by especially close margins. According to the Secretary of State’s office (as of Nov. 22):
In District 41, DFLer Judy Seeberger prevailed by just 321 votes over Republican Tom Dippel.
In District 35, Republican Jim Abeler prevailed by just 186 votes over DFLer Kari Rehrauer.
Only two DFLers were elected in Republican-leaning districts: Grant Hauschild in District 3 (all of the North Shore outside of Duluth and parts of the Iron Range) and Rob Kupec in District 4 (Moorhead to Detroit Lakes). Both were open seats and both districts went for Trump by extremely narrow margins in 2020.
No Republicans won in districts that leaned Democrat in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
Among the six districts that went for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020:
Two were won by the DFL; Aric Putnam in District 14 and Judy Seeberger in District 41.
Four were won by incumbent Republicans: Karin Housley in District 33, Jim Abeler in Distric 35, Warren Limmer in District 37, and Julia Coleman in District 48.
Forty-four of 45 current Senate members were reelected. Republican Roger Chamberlain lost to DFLer Heather Gustafson in the 36th district.
Of the 20 Senate candidates that were involved with election denial activities related to the 2020 presidential election, 12 were voted into office.
Third party candidates by Senate district, not listed in the table above:
12, Ashley Klingbeil, We the People
25, Bill Rood, Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis
26, Eric Leitzen, Legal Marijuana Now
38, Mary O'Connor, Legal Marijuana Now
43, Andrew Schuler, Legal Marijuana Now
66, Jeremy Peichel, Libertarian