Winners have emerged in two key special election primaries for races that will ultimately determine control of the Minnesota Senate.
Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, DFL-Woodbury, won the Senate District 47 primary on Tuesday against her DFL colleague, Rep. Ethan Cha.
Hemmingsen-Jaeger now moves on to the Nov. 4 general election for the seat against Republican Dwight Dorau, a retired Air Force pilot and St. Paul public school teacher.
The east metro senate seat was made vacant last month following the resignation of Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell, who was convicted of felony burglary on July 18.
With 100% of the precincts reported on Tuesday evening, Hemmingsen-Jaeger earned about 82 percent of the vote against Cha, with more than 2,400 votes cast in the special election.
Hemmingsen-Jaeger had earned the endorsement of local Democrats earlier this month. Also this week she was endorsed by Planned Parenthood. She represents House District 47A, while Cha represents House District 47B. The Senate district includes all of Woodbury and a portion of southeast Maplewood.
“Thank you to every voter, volunteer, and supporter who knocked doors, made calls, spread the word, and showed up today,” Hemmingsen-Jaeger said in statement on Tuesday evening. “This victory belongs to all of us, and it’s just the beginning.”
Holmstrom wins Republican primary in Buffalo
Also on Tuesday night, Michael Holmstrom Jr. earned a convincing win in the Senate District 29 Republican special election primary.
He outpaced two other GOP candidates by earning more than 70 percent of the votes. Holmstrom, who last month earned the local GOP endorsement, will face off against DFLer Louis McNutt in the Nov. 4 special election for the seat that includes much of Wright County, and parts of Hennepin and Meeker counties.
“This victory proves the power of the Republican Party endorsement,” Holmstrom said in a statement following his Tuesday evening primary win. “When Republicans stand united behind a vetted, unapologetic conservative candidate, we win. I am deeply honored to be the Republican nominee, and I will continue to carry that banner with pride into the special election.”
Control of the Senate is up for grabs
Gov. Tim Walz called special elections in Senate districts 29 and 47 last month after the death of Sen. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo, and Mitchell’s burglary conviction.
Mitchell resigned the same week Anderson died unexpectedly, creating two vacancies in the state Senate, which at present has 33 Democrats and 32 Republicans.
Holmstrom’s primary victory puts him in a comfortable position heading into the general election in a district that went for Republicans by more than 30 points in 2022.
Recent voting trends in Senate District 47 favor Democrats. In 2022, Mitchell defeated Dorau by 17 points.
But Republican activists are hoping that Mitchell’s decision to stay in her Senate seat for 15 months after her April 2024 arrest will turn away voters — especially since Senate Democrats collectively decided to support Mitchell despite Republican efforts to expel her from the chamber.
Dorau, an aerospace science instructor at Johnson High School in St. Paul, has run twice for the legislature and lost both times. He believes the third time is the charm, considering the circumstances under which the SD47 seat was made vacant.
“Our district deserves strong leadership that delivers for them on promises of clean water, strong schools, and ensuring Minnesota is the best place to live and raise a family,” Dorau said.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
