A group of eight DFL state senators who represent some of the more politically moderate districts across Minnesota are newly branding themselves as the “Blue Dog Coalition,” a name that plays off a well-established but shrinking number of self-described conservative Democrats in Congress.
Their Republican colleagues say the attempt by a handful of DFL senators to rebrand themselves as moderates doesn’t match their voting records.
The formation of a Minnesota-version of the “Blue Dog Democrats” in St. Paul comes as the DFL “trifecta” is set to end next month, with incoming Republicans and DFLers holding a 67-67 tie in the state House, and Democrats holding their 34-33 seat advantage in the Senate. The full Senate is up for re-election in 2026.
“Minnesotans want legislators who hear them, who work to improve their daily lives, who are careful with their tax dollars, and who collaborate to solve problems,” said DFL senators Matt Klein and Nick Frentz, two founding members of the “Blue Dog Coalition,” in a press statement last week. “The Blue Dog Coalition formed to pursue a practical, bipartisan path forward for all Minnesotans.”
Klein, a medical doctor from Mendota Heights, and Frentz, an attorney from North Mankato, are both in the middle of their third terms in the Senate. While both won their most recent elections in 2022 by more than 15 points over Republican challengers, other members of their “Blue Dog” alliance sit in more precarious re-election positions.
Sen. Judy Seeberger, DFL-Afton, won her first term two years ago by just 321 votes. And while Seeberger has tried to publicly position herself as a more moderate member of her DFL caucus, the votes she took the last two legislative sessions don’t match the claim.
On Thursday, Republicans in the House of Representatives responded to reports that the newly-formed Blue Dog Coalition members have signaled they won’t vote for new tax increases during the 2025 budget session.
“We’ve heard loud and clear from Minnesotans that they’ve had enough tax increases after Democrats raided their family budgets over the last two years. Now we’re hearing the same from Senate Blue Dog Caucus members,” said Speaker-designate Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring. “It’s time for Gov. Walz and the rest of the Democrats to face reality and join House Republicans in slamming the door on tax hikes. Let’s focus on what Minnesotans really want—cutting wasteful spending, rooting out fraud in state programs, and delivering real accountability for hardworking taxpayers.”
Republicans say new coalition is ‘Blue Dog’ in name only
Grant Hauschild, another first-term state senator who won his election two years ago by a razor-thin margin, has also joined the new “Blue Dog Coalition.” While Hauschild has occasionally used his Iron Range swing vote to stifle politically polarizing bills (like the North Star Act), he has also sided with his caucus on legislation to codify abortion access through all nine months of pregnancy, restrict gun rights and increase the state’s budget by 38 percent.
That has Republicans in the Senate calling the new caucus “moderate” in name only.
“Every single one of these Democrats voted for a progressive, partisan agenda that included $10 billion in new taxes and fees, spent the entire $18 billion surplus, and leads to a projected $5.1 billion deficit,” said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks.
“They all voted for the failed marijuana equity license lottery, free healthcare, college, and drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, delivery fees for online purchases, dozens of mandates on schools, and a last minute, massive 1,400-page bill that destroyed the trust and reputation of the Senate.”
Despite those charges from their Republican colleagues, the members of the new coalition say their “mission statement” focuses on “pragmatic, reasonable, and balanced policies that reflect the values of all Minnesotans.”
“We are committed to problem-solving, collaboration, and the pursuit of fiscally responsible policies that support working families, small businesses, and communities in every corner of our state,” the Blue Dog Coalition says.
Other members of the “Blue Dog Coalition” include senators:
- Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope
- Rob Kupec, DFL-Moorhead
- Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud
- John Hoffman, DFL-Champlin
While Rest is in her eighth term in a seat that’s likely to stay in the DFL column, Kupec, Putnam and Hoffman are in districts that could swing Republican. Hoffman is considered the most politically moderate of all 34 DFL state senators. He’s voted with Republicans on occasion and has voiced opposition to controversial bills carried by his DFL colleagues. But Hoffman’s reputation has also been marred by conflict of interest allegations.
Number of ‘Blue Dogs’ shrinking in Congress
The formation of the “Blue Dog Coalition” in St. Paul is a riff on the political term “Blue Dog Democrat,” which first surfaced in Congress more than 30 years ago following the 1994 election that gave Republicans control of the U.S. House and Senate for the first time in more than 40 years.
In Washington, the term “Blue Dog Democrat” is self-appointed by members of Congress who fashion themselves more conservative in their politics than many of their Democrat colleagues.
Historically, politicians who have joined the Blue Dog Coalition are considered both fiscally and socially conservative. But in the last decade the term has shifted towards ideological centrism. The number of Democrats in Congress who belonged to the “Blue Dog Coalition” peaked in 2009 at more than 50 members. Today, the caucus boasts just 11 members.
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.
