Two special elections for the Minnesota Senate were decided on Tuesday with the GOP prevailing in one of those contests and the DFL claiming victory in the other.
Holmstrom wins Buffalo-area Senate seat
In July, longtime Republican State Sen. Bruce Anderson died unexpectedly. Anderson had represented Buffalo and its surrounding communities for three decades in both the Senate and the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Anderson’s seat, Senate District 29, is considered a safe Republican seat. Earlier this year, Michael Holmstrom Jr. won the Republican endorsement for the seat and easily secured the GOP nomination in the August primary election.
A small business owner and conservative activist, Holmstrom won Senate District 29 over DFL nominee Louis McNutt on Tuesday by 24 points.
“As your next State Senator, I will fight to protect your tax dollars against fraud, strengthen public safety, support parental rights in schools, and lower costs for you and your family,” Holmstrom said in a statement.
Hemmingsen-Jaeger wins Woodbury Senate seat
In July, DFL State Sen. Nicole Mitchell resigned from office after being convicted of first-degree burglary for breaking into her stepmother’s home.
Mitchell’s resignation triggered a special election in Senate District 47 which includes all of Woodbury and part of Maplewood. The district, which strongly favors Democrats, elected Mitchell by a 17-point margin in 2022.
After Mitchell’s resignation, DFL State Reps. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger and Ethan Cha sought the DFL nomination for the seat. Hemmingsen-Jaeger won the DFL endorsement and the August primary election.
On Tuesday, Hemmingsen-Jaeger bested Republican Dwight Dorau in the special election for Mitchell’s old seat with 61% of the vote to Dorau’s 38%.
“This campaign was about protecting clean water, defending reproductive freedom, making healthcare more affordable, and supporting working families — and that work starts now,” Hemmingsen-Jaeger said after her victory.
The composition of the Minnesota Senate
Leading up to Tuesday, the Senate was comprised of 33 DFLers, 32 Republicans, and two vacancies. With the elections of Holmstrom and Hemmingsen-Jaeger, both the Democrats and Republicans are set to gain one senator.
While it would appear the DFL’s one-vote majority will continue, the Senate could soon face another vacancy if DFL Sen. Omar Fateh wins his bid for Minneapolis mayor and resigns his current office.
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.
