Republican, DFLer compete for control of Minnesota Senate

A single western Twin Cities contest on Tuesday’s ballot will provide the tie-breaking vote in the Minnesota state Senate, determining whether Republicans or DFLers control the chamber.

Republican Kathleen Fowke, in her second run for office, seeks to turn the seat red. Former Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart, a Democrat, wants voters to return her to St. Paul.

All 134 state House of Representatives seats are on the ballot Tuesday. But of the 67 Senate seats, this was the only one on the ballot because of a special election.

This Senate district that surrounds Lake Minnetonka is up for grabs because Sen. Kelly Morrison, DFL-Deephaven, stepped down to run for the Third Congressional District seat. She is on the ballot Tuesday as well, facing Republican former judge Tad Jude.

Morrison resigned the seat after the 2024 legislative session, leaving the Senate at a tie with 33 DFLers and 33 Republicans. The Senate’s tie hasn’t been an issue because it hasn’t gone into session since Morrison’s departure, but the 2025 legislative session starts Jan. 14.

Fowke, 60, a real estate agent and entrepreneur, campaigned as a pragmatist, a moderate who would restore balance at the Capitol after two years of the DFL controlling both chambers and the governor’s office.

Johnson Stewart, 60, a civil engineer, is asking voters to return her to the Senate. She held a seat from 2021 to 2023 before choosing not to run again when she was paired with Morrison in redistricting.

The district leans DFL, and Fowke has said she knows she’s an underdog. With the stakes high, Johnson Stewart’s fellow DFLers have shown up in force for regular rotations of door knocking. She said their ability to protect reproductive rights and continue passing progressive policies is on the line.

The winner of this seat will serve the remaining two years on Morrison’s term. The seat is up for a full four-year term in 2026.