State Legislative
Thompson says he won’t resign as Trump supporter wreaks havoc at presser
Rep. John Thompson won't resign as Trump supporter disrupts press conference.
State Capitol will likely be place of contentious gridlock following Tuesday’s election
Minnesota voters on Tuesday appeared to have opted for another two years of divided government, with Republicans retaining their majority in the state Senate and Democrats controlling the House. Returns on Wednesday showed the balance of power in Minnesota would likely be unchanged despite a statewide win by former Vice President Joe Biden. The two […]
Here are 10 close races that could determine control of the Legislature
The election looms large in Minnesota. Voters will determine the balance of power in Minnesota, currently home to the nation’s only divided Legislature. And the winner could take home a prize that will have ramifications for the next decade, as the next set of 201 lawmakers will be tasked with redrawing the state’s legislative and […]
Organizers focus on reaching Indigenous voters in northern Minnesota
Editor’s note: Since the publication of this story, the Reformer has learned that many — perhaps most — of the new registrations are not new voters. Some of the new registration forms were duplicates. Some voters may have merely changed their address. The information arose from new interviews with the Clearwater County auditor/treasurer, the Beltrami […]
DFL Senate leader fighting to win back majority, fend off GOP challenger in Woodbury-area district
State Sen. Susan Kent is on the cusp of being the second woman majority leader of the Minnesota state Senate and the first from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. First things first, though: Winning her own reelection. She faces a tough challenge from former Woodbury Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens, who is getting major help from Senate Republicans […]
St. Cloud’s increasing diversity — and polarization — are the scene for key race between state Sen. Jerry Relph, and DFL challenger Aric Putnam
Minneapolis was the epicenter of this year’s racial reckoning, but for several years racial strife in St. Cloud has served as a prologue, roiling the region’s politics and seeding a perennial battleground in Senate District 14. The St. Cloud district is home to a rapidly diversifying population. About 11% of the district’s population is foreign-born, […]
Minnesota GOP hopes to unseat rural Democrat in state House race
Republicans have tried and failed for two decades to unseat Minnesota state Rep. Paul Marquart, DFL-Dilworth, who has long been viewed as a vulnerable incumbent as Republicans have steadily picked off nearly every last Democrat in greater Minnesota. The GOP hopes that this year, District 4B’s support for President Donald Trump will finally translate to […]
Blizzard of money sweeping into Minnesota legislative races
Final campaign finance reports before Tuesday’s election show several million-dollar legislative races underway, with wealthy Minnesotans, business groups, labor unions, and out-of-state political and single issue groups footing the bills. And when the legislative session begins Jan. 5, Minnesotans should have no illusions: These interest groups and wealthy individuals will almost certainly enjoy greater access […]
Gun control group Everytown spending big on Minnesota Senate
Everytown Action Fund, the gun control group, is spending an eye-popping $1 million in late money on direct mail and digital ads, to flip the Minnesota Senate. The centerpiece of the program is a direct mail piece written by Rolf Olson, a Savage, Minn., pastor whose daughter was murdered when she answered a Craigslist ad […]
Suburban swing district in south metro could determine House majority
In 2018, then-Rep. Roz Peterson, R-Lakeville, was a well-known realtor who had served two terms in the House majority and had her name on some high-profile legislation. But suburban District 56B had become disgusted with President Donald Trump. “I didn’t see it coming until two weeks before the election and then it was like, ‘We […]
State Sen. Justin Eichorn tries to hold off Bemidji Mayor Rita Albrecht, with control of Senate at stake
Justin Eichorn helped flip the Minnesota Senate when he beat then-Sen. Tom Saxhaug by fewer than 600 votes in northeastern Minnesota’s District 5 as part of a red wave in 2016, when Donald Trump was at the top of the ticket. This year, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party hopes to win the seat back with Rita Albrecht. […]
What is that crass billboard about Gov. Tim Walz? And what does “rocks and cows” mean?
Twin Cities residents are going north in droves since the pandemic hit, with the latest wave traveling on I-35 to see the foliage. Amid the brilliant oranges and reds of the region’s deciduous trees, however, a billboard provides an unpleasant shock. The image: A man in an anatomically impossible position such that his head is […]