Minnesota Democrats hold narrow Senate majority after pair of special elections

What happened: Unofficial results showed Democratic state Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger with a 20-point lead over Republican Dwight Dorau to represent the Woodbury-based Senate District 47, with 90% of precincts reporting.

• Republican Michael Holmstrom Jr. led DFLer Louis McNutt by a similarly wide margin in his bid to succeed Anderson in Senate District 29, which covers Wright County and parts of Hennepin and Meeker counties.

Between the lines: Neither open seat was considered a true swing district: Mitchell carried 58% of the vote in 2022 and Anderson was reelected with over 70% support.

• But some observers predicted that Mitchell's resignation, which followed her July conviction on felony burglary charges, combined with the high stakes for the balance of power at the divided Capitol, could put her suburban seat in play.

The intrigue: While spending levels that would indicate a more competitive campaign never materialized, the special election did give a preview of the likely messaging for 2026, when all 201 seats in the Legislature are up for grabs.

• Ads from Democrats focused on climate change, gun violence, and President Trump, and GOP-aligned groups focused on combating fraud in state programs, MPR News reported.

What's next: Gov. Tim Walz will need to call a special election to fill Hemmingsen-Jaeger's House seat once she resigns to join the Senate.

• That contest, expected to take place before the Legislature reconvenes in February, will put the 67-67 tie in the House in play.