As the results poured in on Tuesday evening, Minnesotans were trying to understand what exactly was happening. While DFL Governor Tim Walz was expected to win, both legislative chambers slightly favored Republicans.
As more races started to post complete results, it became apparent that the momentum was with Democrats across the board. To see the party in control of the White House appear to have a good night is a rarity in a midterm election.
But it was a theme that played out in other parts of the country and especially the Midwest (both legislative chambers in Michigan flipped from R to D). The predicted red wave never surfaced.
Instead, following a roughly eight-point victory for Governor Walz, and earning slim majorities in both legislative chambers, Minnesota state government will experience a DFL trifecta for the first time since 2013-2014.
Despite losing a handful of incumbents in Greater Minnesota, the House DFL was able to win enough suburban seats to maintain the exact same margin they currently hold at 70-64. And the Senate DFL squeaked by with a razor-thin margin of 34-33 by keeping seats in St. Cloud and Moorhead, while picking up seats in Lino Lakes and Rochester.
Additionally, DFL incumbents were able to maintain their grasp on the additional constitutional offices of Secretary of State, Attorney General and Auditor. Republican Ryan Wilson lost to DFL incumbent Julie Blaha by less than 10,000 votes, which will trigger a recount in the Auditor’s race. This was the closest a Republican has come to winning a statewide office since 2006.
The new legislature and constitutional officers will take the oath in January, with more than 25% of the members serving their first terms. All-in-all, 61 of the 76 Housing First Minnesota PAC endorsed candidates won election. This includes members in all four of the caucuses. In the coming days, each caucus will host their own leadership elections and in the coming weeks we can expect committee assignments.
Housing is and always has been a bipartisan issue. Your Housing First Minnesota advocacy team stands ready to defend housing and address threats to homeownership during the upcoming legislative session
