THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: The Most Interesting Race In Minnesota In 2024?

With less than two months to go, most media political

attention is on the presidential and high profile U.S.

Senate and House races. But it is a national election

cycle, and numerous other state and local races are

taking place, too.

A few of these other races have outsized importance

because they not only impact their own districts, but also

will determine bigger outcomes.

One such race is the special state senate contest in

Minnesota’s suburban District 45. While all of Minnesota’s

state house seats are on the ballot this November, none

of its state senate seats are up for election. That is,

with one exception. The state Democratic Party (DFL)

had a one-seat majority in the state senate (34-33), that 

with its control of the state house and the governorship,

gave them effective control (sometimes called a trifecta)

of the executive and legislative branches, as well as the

sole power ro appoint state judges.

However, the state’s Third District Congressman Dean

Phillips ran a maverick race for president this year,

contrary to the wishes of his party’s establishment, and

when he lost in the primaries, he decided to retire from

politics and not run for re-election. This created an

unexpected open congressional seat this November.

One of the DFLers who decided to run for the open

seat was State Senator Kelly Morrison. She resigned

her state senate seat to campaign for Congress, and

she eventually won the DFL nomination in the recent

primary.

Her resignation left the state senate tied between the

DFL and the state Republican Party. A special election

was set for this November to fill the vacancy. S.D. 45

elected Morrison over her GOP opponent 56% to

44% two years ago in a favorable DFL cycle and no

presidential election. In a presidential cycle, and 

with notable backlash to DFL policies outstate and in

the suburbs, and with so much at stake, this race is

likely to be competitive.

Businesswoman Kathleen Fowkes won the Republican

nomination in the primary just held, The governorship 

is not on the ballot in 2024, and Republicans face an

uphill battle to win a majority in the state house.

On the other hand, the GOP needs to win only this

one state senate race to take control of that body,

and have a brake on what conservatives consider to

be a recent outpouring of radical legislation and

policies.

Former state legislator Ann Johnson Stewart won

the DFL nomination in her party’s recent primary.

DFLers. of course, are highly motivated to keep the

seat, and maintain their control of state government.

Minnesota, in recent years, has been a reliably blue

(DFL) state, but the party’s winning margins have 

narrowed recently as GOP (red state) voters, especially 

in rural and suburban areas, have increasingly 

opposed the DFL agenda.

Polls indicate that the presidential race is narrowing

in Minnesota —- although  the Democrat’s nominee

has won the state in every election since 1976.

The race for the open state senate seat might be

the most interesting Minnesota race to watch on 

November 5th.

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Copyright (c) 2024 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.