Four years ago, Democrat Judy Seeberger narrowly prevailed in a race for Minnesota Senate District 41, an east metro district that includes Hastings, Lake Elmo, Afton, most of Cottage Grove, and other surrounding communities.
That year, Seeberger beat Republican Tom Dippel by just 321 votes in a race where former GOP state Rep. Tony Jurgens endorsed Seeberger after he lost both the GOP endorsement and nomination for Senate District 41 to Dippel.
Seeberger’s narrow margin of victory resulted in Democrats taking a one-seat majority in the Senate and also gave Democrats a trifecta — controlling the Senate, governorship, and the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2023 through 2024.
Under the trifecta, Democrats passed some of the most extreme legislation Minnesota has ever seen. Furthermore, state spending increased by nearly 40% during that time.
In 2024, Republicans managed to break the trifecta by winning a tie in the House — Dippel himself was elected to the House that year. However, Democrats still maintain a one-seat majority in the state Senate.
Now, Dippel is making another bid for the Senate seat he lost four years ago, and the result could once again decide the Senate majority.
DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger
A firefighter-paramedic and lawyer, Seeberger previously served on the Bayport City Council before her time in the state legislature. During her first legislative session in 2023, she was an instrumental part of the Democrats’ far-left agenda.
In 2023, Seeberger voted for legislation which dramatically rewrote state laws governing abortion. That bill, known as HF 1, passed by one vote in the Senate and allowed abortions to occur through all nine months of pregnancy.
That same year, Seeberger also voted for an omnibus bill that allowed illegal aliens to use a state-run healthcare program called MinnesotaCare. Seeberger stood by that vote two years later when she opposed an effort to remove illegal aliens from the healthcare program.
Additionally, Seeberger supported a major omnibus bill that raised the gas tax by indexing it to inflation, raised the vehicle sales tax, raised the motor registration tax, and created a new sales tax in the seven-county metro area to fund transportation projects.
In the most recent legislative session, Seeberger was one of many Democrats who voted for a sweeping gun control bill that would have banned federally licensed firearms dealers from selling a wide swath of firearms, including the AR-15, the most popular firearm in America.
Despite representing a true toss-up district, Seeberger has also embraced her party’s far-left flank at the ballot box. In 2025, Seeberger was one of a handful of Senate Democrats to endorse DFL state Sen. Omar Fateh’s bid for mayor of Minneapolis.
Fateh, one of the most far-left members of the Senate, previously carried legislation to turn Minnesota into a sanctuary state. He also supported efforts to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a department of public safety.
During his mayoral campaign, Fateh was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Twin Cities. His 2022 bid for state Senate was also endorsed by the DSA Twin Cities.
Alpha News contacted Seeberger with questions about her record, her support of Fateh, her reelection campaign, and more. However, she did not respond to a media inquiry.
On her campaign website, Seeberger says she wants to protect tax dollars from fraud, cut taxes, and support veterans. She also notes that she cut Social Security taxes, “ensuring the vast majority of our seniors pay NO state tax on Social Security.”
Additionally, Seeberger touts her efforts to support first responders, stop fraud, and ensure clean drinking water for the district.
Republican Rep. Tom Dippel
The owner of a dental business, Dippel won his seat in the House by just over two points in 2024. In addition to his service in the House, Dippel is the board chair of Valor Classical Academy, a Christian classical K-12 school in Washington County.
Dippel is running for Senate on a platform that supports clean water, tax cuts, and more local control of schools. Alpha News contacted Dippel with questions about his campaign and priorities. He provided written answers to those questions.
“I am running for the Senate because I believe we need more people at the Capitol who understand what it means to balance a budget, make payroll, raise a family, and be accountable for the decisions they make,” Dippel told Alpha News.
Discussing why he should represent the people of Senate District 41, Dippel touted his time in the House, saying he secured $17.5 million for clean drinking water in the district, helped pass property tax relief and car tab fee reductions, and procured $9.6 million for a road improvement project in the district.
Additionally, Dippel slammed his DFL opponent, describing Seeberger as the “deciding vote” in support of the DFL trifecta’s agenda.
“Senator Seeberger promised not to raise the gas tax and to completely eliminate the tax on Social Security benefits — she broke both those promises and was the deciding vote to do so,” Dippel told Alpha News.
In 2023, the DFL trifecta passed a law which expanded the Social Security tax subtraction, but did not eliminate taxes on Social Security. Seeberger voted for that law.
Should Republicans win a Senate majority, Dippel said he wants that majority to prioritize lowering costs for families. Specifically, Dippel wants to cap car tab fees at $99 for everyone and $49 for anyone already paying less than $99.
Additionally, the Republican lawmaker wants to increase oversight of state spending and prioritize academic achievement, school safety, and local control in education. Dippel also wants to prioritize protecting drinking water, reduce spending, support law enforcement, and improve critical infrastructure.
Asked how he will win his Senate bid this time, Dippel referenced his time “earning the trust of voters” in the House and said, “the biggest difference this time is that voters don’t have to take my word for what I will do. They can look at what I have already accomplished.”
He also said his family and campaign have “spent countless hours knocking on doors, listening to residents, and building relationships throughout the district. We have worked hard to reach voters personally and listen to their concerns.”
“Ultimately, my goal is simple: Make Minnesota a state where families can afford to live, businesses can succeed, children can receive an excellent education, and government remembers that it works for the people—not the other way around,” Dippel 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.
