Minnesota Senate leaders weigh in ahead of consequential election

ST. PAUL, Minn. (GRAY) – Next week’s midterm elections will determine the balance of power in the Minnesota Senate until 2030.

Unlike the Minnesota House, which is up for election every two years, the Minnesota State Senate is typically up for election every four years, except in years when the state redistricts.

While the DFL has held a narrow one-vote majority since 2022, next week’s election gives both Democrats and Republicans a chance to take the Senate majority, an opportunity each side hopes to capitalize on.

“[Compared to the House], we have a longer window of time to try and accomplish the things that we want to accomplish for the people of Minnesota,” said Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul).

“Even with just a few net moves on both the House and the Senate, that’s going to determine a lot of the outcome going forward,” said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks).

The chance to drive policy conversations at the Capitol for the next two biennia is part of why both parties are hoping to flip seats in their favor. Several state senate races across the state could go either way; namely, rural districts currently held by DFLers and suburban districts currently held by Republicans.

“This election cycle is really coming down to about eight seats now. Four of them are from areas that Republicans should be representing, but there is a Democrat there,” said Johnson, referring to several districts with close margins that Republicans hope to flip this November.

The sentiment is the same for the DFL.

“We have a lot of pickup opportunities, and we are working very hard across the state with 67 candidates to make sure that we win up and down the ballot,” said Murphy.

Winning the majority would look different for each party.

The DFL has held the Senate since 2022, and if elected to a majority once again, Murphy says they’d look to continue working on some of the priorities they carried over the last four years. Those policies may focus on things like cutting healthcare costs, regulating firearms, and strengthening protections for marginalized groups.

Murphy said her party has heard from many Minnesotans who want the state to offset federal policies.

“What I’m hearing from the people of Minnesota, the number one issue is the cost of living,” she said, “we understand that Congress, with this president, has essentially dismantled our healthcare system.”

If Republicans managed to flip the Senate, the work that comes out of the chamber may look different.

In recent years, the Senate GOP has condemned many of the policies passed by the DFL trifecta. The party has been critical of new state programs like Paid Leave, and would likely look to cut some of them in favor of lower taxes. Johnson said they’ve heard many voters talking about fraud, and would likely make addressing it one of their first priorities.

“People... are working hard, they’re paying more in taxes, and yet they’re seeing the Minnesota state government, led by the Democrats, let them down as their tax dollars are leaving the state,” he said.