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The Minnesota House will be politically split down the middle again after Democrats cruised to wins in a pair of special elections Tuesday.

Unofficial results showed easy wins in both Twin Cities-area elections.

Special election for State Representative District 64A

Special election for State Representative District 47A

One is in the eastern suburbs, District 47A, where only 

DFL nominee Shelley Buck will appear by name on the ballot

. No Republicans filed in the race. Buck, a longtime Prairie Island Indian Community tribal council leader, will replace a DFL House member who won a Senate special election in November.

In St. Paul, the DFL candidate swamped the Republican nominee, fitting with historical electoral patterns in 

Democrat Meg-Luger Nikolai, a labor attorney, defeated Republican Dan Walsh, a business owner. She will replace new Mayor Kaohly Her in the House.

With the Democratic wins, the House will go back to a 67-67 tie ahead of the legislative session that starts in February. The state Senate is separated by a single vote, with DFLers holding a 34-33 majority.

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Election 2026 

Brian Bakst

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The Minnesota House is politically split down the middle again after special elections in a pair of races Tuesday that Democrats won. The House will have 67 Democrats and 67 Republicans when the session convenes in February.

Minnesota House gains 2 DFL members after special election wins restore tie

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