Control of Minnesota Senate up for grabs in suburban, rural special elections

Two special elections next week will determine who controls the Minnesota Senate, potentially bolstering Democrats’ majority in the chamber or handing Republicans control for the first time since 2022.

A seat in the eastern Twin Cities suburbs opened when former DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell resigned after a jury found her guilty of burglary. Another in the rural areas west of the metro became vacant after 75-year-old Sen. Bruce Anderson, a Republican from Buffalo, died in July.

While Anderson and Mitchell won their seats by a wide margin in 2022, both parties are hoping to flip a seat. Two Democratic wins would widen Democrats’ 33-32 advantage in the chamber, and a sweep for Republicans would give them a one-seat majority.

Democrats are excited about their prospects 10 months into President Donald Trump’s second term, arguing their base is motivated to get out the vote. But Republicans see an opportunity to flip a seat at a time when state Democrats are facing heat for a growing number of investigations into Medicaid fraud in state programs.

Republicans’ hopes hinge on Dwight Dorau of Woodbury, a 58-year-old Air Force veteran and public school teacher who’s hoping to capture Senate District 47. The self-described “oddball Republican” was quick to talk up local issues like water quality in the east metro and a desire to work with Democrats while hesitating to offer an opinion on President Trump on a recent afternoon spent door-knocking in the district.

“A lot of people are talking about the national-level stuff, and I’m not focused on that,” he said.

Dorau said he wants to put an end to the fraud that’s roiling state-administered benefits programs, increase penalties for criminals and lower taxes.

“We’re seeing child poverty go down with our child tax credits; kids aren’t learning on empty stomachs because you’ve got universal school meals,” she said. “We’ve shown we can do a lot of good for a lot of Minnesotans.”

Hemmingsen-Jaeger said her priorities include making child care more affordable and passing gun control legislation after the assassination of DFL House Leader Melissa Hortman in June and the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in August that left two students dead.

Meanwhile, Democrats are hoping for an upset in Senate District 29, which includes Buffalo, Monticello and Annandale. DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom said the Democratic candidate, Louis McNutt of Buffalo, has knocked on more than 6,000 doors already and is a good fit for the district.

“We’ve not really competed in that district in a significant way and I’m excited to see what happens when we put in the work,” he said.

McNutt, a heavy-equipment mechanic for the Minnesota Department of Transportation and a secretary for AFSCME Council 5, said he’s running because he hasn’t seen politicians represent the needs of working-class people.

McNutt said his priorities include lowering health care costs for working families, eliminating the state tax on social security and rooting out fraud in state programs.

Republican Party Chair Alex Plechash said voters want “accountability, safety and results.”

“These races are about restoring balance, ending fraud and waste and bringing back common sense to St. Paul,” he said.

Michael Holmstrom Jr., the Republican in the race, is a small-business owner who said he and his wife were “radicalized” into getting more involved with politics after the public school district in Buffalo adopted gender-affirming policies after being sued by the family of a transgender student.

Holmstrom said the state’s transgender-friendly policies, especially in schools, have taken opportunities away from girl student athletes and perpetuate the “lie that your biological sex can change because you want it to.” His top priorities are unwinding those policies, tackling fraud and implementing harsher sentencing guidelines for criminals.