Democrats take control of the Minnesota Legislature

Minnesota Democrats took back control of the state Legislature in Tuesday's election, a stunning upset that will give the party complete control of state government for the first time since 2014.

Democrats maintained control in the House and reclaimed the majority in the state Senate for the first time in six years through victories in the Twin Cities suburbs and critical battlegrounds in greater Minnesota. In the Senate, Democrats appear to hold the majority by a single vote, after a northeastern Minnesota seat flipped their way early Wednesday morning.

"We know what Minnesotans want. Minnesotans want fully funded public schools. They want healthcare that everybody can afford, and they want an economy that works for everyone," DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman said from the stage at the DFL election night party in St. Paul. "Oh, and by the way, they want a government that respects their personal freedom and bodily autonomy."

Senate Republican Majority Leader Jeremy Miller conceded the battle for the Senate in a statement on Wednesday.

"We will continue to fight for keeping life affordable for working Minnesotans and seniors, safer communities and support for law enforcement, and more opportunities for students to be successful in the classroom and beyond," Miller said.

In January, the DFL-led Legislature will work with Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to set the next two-year state budget and spend a multi-billion budget surplus lawmakers left on the table last session.

"Every victory that brought us to the majority was hard fought by candidates who have Minnesota's best interest at heart, and is grounded in our commitment to making Minnesota a fairer, safer, and more prosperous place to live, work and raise a family," said outgoing Senate DFL Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen.

Three of the Democratic victors — Clare Oumou Verbeten, Zaynab Mohamed and Erin Maye Quade — became the first Black women ever elected to the Minnesota Senate in its 164-year history.

Another victor was Democrat Leigh Finke of St. Paul, who became Minnesota's first transgender legislator with her election to the House in District 66A.

Going into Election Day, Democrats controlled the House and Republicans had the Senate, but both parties held slim majorities. Republicans, who led the Senate for the past six years, held 34 seats. In the House, Republicans had to pick up four seats to seize control from Democrats, who held the chamber since 2018.

Republicans sought to win control of both chambers, pointing to voter concerns about inflation, crime and the Biden presidency.

"This is President Biden's first midterm," said House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown. "Voters and citizens, not just of Minnesota but across the country, are not happy with the results they've seen from Democrats."

Democrats hoped to extend their power in St. Paul by mobilizing voters concerned about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning federal abortion protections.

Hortman cited House Democrats' outreach to more than 700,000 voters as one of the reasons why they were able to hold chamber.

Democrats' victory upends recent historical precedent. The political makeup of the Minnesota House had flipped in each of the past four midterm elections. Democrats won the House in 2006 and 2018 during the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations, while Republicans flipped it in 2010 and 2014 during Barack Obama's presidency.

The DFL House and Senate caucuses each reported raising about $6 million so far this year, according to the final pre-election campaign finance reports submitted last week, while the GOP House and Senate caucuses each reported raising closer to $2 million.

A couple of Republican-aligned independent expenditure groups reported raising more than $1.2 million this year for Senate candidates and $1.9 million for House candidates.

Minnesota has had one of only two divided state legislatures in the country (the other is Virginia's).

The next Legislature will pick up where lawmakers left off when they adjourned in May. Lawmakers had struck a deal earlier this year to use the state's record surplus to cut $4 billion in taxes, but the plan got held up in the session's final hours.

Disagreements over how much to spend on student mental health, special education and literacy programs kept House Democrats and Senate Republicans from striking a final deal for more than $1 billion for classrooms.

Lawmakers also failed to pass public safety legislation, which was a top priority for all state leaders.

Hortman and DFL Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen said Democrats would seek to invest in public schools and protect women's reproductive rights.