DFL keeps Minnesota Senate control as parties split 2 special elections
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Minnesota Democrats will maintain a one-seat edge in the state Senate after DFLers won a suburban special election and Republicans won a seat in Wright County.
A race in the Maplewood-Woodbury area was seen as the linchpin of the two elections. Democratic state Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger defeated GOP candidate and Air Force veteran Dwight Dwight Dorau.
In the Wright County area race, Michael Holmstrom Jr. kept a longtime Republican seat in his party’s column with a victory over Democrat Louis McNutt.
The result means a 34-33 majority will be in place when the 2026 session begins, barring something unforeseen.
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“This special election win was absolutely crucial for defending Democrats’ majority in one of the most competitive legislative chambers in the country,” said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams. The group was among those that invested in the race.
“She will bring an invaluable perspective to the Senate as both a scientist and a union member,” said Sen. Nick Frentz, the campaign chair for Senate DFLers.
Republicans celebrated the victory by Holmstrom.
“Tonight’s results are a testament to our community’s shared values and desire for a stronger Minnesota,” he said in a written statement in which he described his priorities as fighting fraud, lowering costs and promoting parental rights in schools.
The contests bring the chamber back to its full complement of 67 members. But it will prompt another special election — this one in the House of Representatives — to fill the seat Hemmingsen-Jaeger is leaving.
Coming in, Democrats had the narrowest of margins in their favor, with a 33-32 split. A Republican sweep would have tipped the scales in that party’s favor to go along with an evenly divided Minnesota House.
The death of GOP Sen. Bruce Anderson and conviction of DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell led to vacancies this summer.
In both districts, residents saw a barrage of campaign mailers, social media posts and doorknocks ahead of the election. Special elections typically generate lower turnout than other general elections.
Minnesota Senate leaders saw the races as key because the majorities hung in the balance but also it offered a sense of voter mood heading into 2026, when all legislative seats will be on the line next November.
