In 2024, one of the biggest and most consequential political controversies in Minnesota was the election in District 54A of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
That year, DFL state Rep. Brad Tabke led his Republican challenger, police officer Aaron Paul, by just 14 votes after the votes were counted in District 54A, a legislative seat that includes almost all of Shakopee and Jackson Township.
However, the race became the subject of major controversy after it was discovered that 20 ballots were thrown out and never counted. On top of that, the House was poised to be split evenly with 67 Republicans and 67 DFLers if Tabke’s election stood.
Paul quickly filed a lawsuit that sought a new election in the district because of the missing ballots. In response, Tabke’s legal team argued that only the House itself had the authority to declare the election invalid.
Eventually, voters who filled out the missing ballots were identified and six of them testified in court that they voted for Tabke, thus putting the election out of reach for Paul. The judge in that case ultimately ruled that a new election was unnecessary.
While there was some speculation about whether Tabke would be seated by the House, he was ultimately seated and is now serving in his third non-consecutive term in the House.
Now, Tabke and Paul are running against each other again for House District 54A.
DFL Rep. Brad Tabke
Tabke, who previously served as the mayor of Shakopee, was first elected to the House in 2018 when he beat Republican Erik Mortensen by roughly three points. Two years later, Tabke lost a rematch with Mortensen by less than three points.
However, Tabke returned to the House after he beat Mortensen in another rematch by more than eight points in 2022. After winning his election that year, Tabke was part of the DFL’s so-called “trifecta,” which increased the state budget by 38%.
In Minnesota’s 2023 legislative session, Tabke voted for new laws that legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, increased the state gas tax by indexing it to inflation, and created a new sales tax in the seven-county metro area.
Tabke also voted for legislation that provided free school meals for K-12 students and created the new state-level Paid Leave program.
However, Tabke also supported new laws that benefit illegal aliens. In 2023, he voted for a law that gave illegal aliens access to MinnesotaCare, a state-run healthcare program. Two years later, he opposed a law that banned adult illegal aliens from MinnesotaCare.
He also voted for the “Driver’s License for All” bill that allowed illegal aliens to get state-issued driver’s licenses. Tabke also supported the creation of the North Star Promise program, which allows high school students, including illegal aliens, to get state-funded college scholarships.
On top of this, Tabke took on an active roll as an anti-ICE activist during Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s immigration enforcement effort in Minnesota that lasted from late 2025 into the early months of 2026.
In December of 2025, Alpha News reported that Tabke was part of an “ICE watch” group that was comprised of more than 200 people. In a video, Tabke explained what the group did and how it helped people who were “dealing with fear.”
“We’re helping people go to the grocery store when they need to go to the grocery store,” he said. “We’re helping, if people are scared to be at a bus stop, to be at the bus stop with them, to make sure that we’re there to observe and document if anything happens.”
He noted that the group did not engage in “obstructionism” and was not for “stopping law enforcement activities.” Instead, he said the group’s purpose was to document what happened so that it could be used later. He also invited people to join the group.
In February of 2026, Alpha News reported that Tabke, who has said “ICE makes us less safe,” also led a training on how to follow ICE agents. A slide from that training instructed participants that they had a legal right to follow ICE agents but could not obstruct.
Tabke has pushed a pro-illegal alien agenda despite the fact that his own district was the site of a gruesome crime in which an illegal alien beheaded a woman in broad daylight. The illegal alien was not found guilty of murder due to mental illness.
Alpha News contacted Tabke for this story but did not hear back. According to his campaign website, the DFLer is running on a platform of fighting fraud, bringing down the cost of living, pushing for affordable healthcare, and supporting veterans and the police.
Republican Aaron Paul
An active duty police officer with more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, Paul is running on a platform of reducing the burden on taxpayers, tackling fraud, supporting police, and more. Paul answered written questions for this story.
“I believe in taking a common-sense approach to solving problems,” Paul told Alpha News. “I’ll look at every issue with one question in mind: Is this what’s best for Shakopee? My focus will always be on putting people first, ahead of politics or party lines.”
Asked about his opponent in the race for District 54A, Paul said Tabke’s voting record “raises questions about whether his priorities reflect the needs of Shakopee residents or align more closely with his party’s political agenda.”
District 54A is one of a slate of toss-up seats that could decide which party wins the House majority. Given the razor-thin margin in District 54A last year, the seat is poised to be one of the most-watched legislative contests this year.
Should Republicans win the House majority, Paul said he’ll focus on “tackling fraud, making Minnesota more affordable, and ensuring that when St. Paul sets priorities, the state pays for them instead of passing the costs down to our counties.”
Paul also told Alpha News that “there’s been too much fighting and finger-pointing at the Capitol and not enough working together.” He said he wants to put differences aside and “work together on common-sense solutions that make life better for our communities.”
Asked how he would win what could be a very close election, the Republican candidate said his plan is to knock on as many doors as possible and talk to as many people as possible.
“I believe that the best way to earn someone’s vote is to listen, understand what matters to them, and show that you’re willing to put in the work to represent them,” Paul said.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
