Democrats sweep Minnesota, reclaim full control of State Capitol
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Amy Klobuchar will be the state's first female governor. Photo: Dymanh Chhoun/Sahan Journal/Catchlight via Getty Images
The blue tsunami washed across Minnesota on Tuesday, lifting Democrats to victory up and down the ballot.
What happened: Democratic candidates swept all statewide offices — including closely watched races for governor, U.S. Senate and attorney general — and clinched majorities in the state House and Senate.
What it means: Another DFL trifecta, as Amy Klobuchar — the state's first female governor-elect — and legislative Democrats reclaimed full control of the State Capitol after two years of narrowly divided government.
The big picture: Republicans bet that an electorate fed up with fraud in state programs would reverse a 20-year losing streak. It was no match for an unprecedented venting of Democrats' outrage over President Trump and Operation Metro Surge.
- DFL Party chair Richard Carlbom called the results, which mirrored big wins for Democrats across the nation, a "resounding repudiation of Donald Trump."
By the numbers: Klobuchar's landslide 12-point win over Republican Lisa Demuth would mark the largest margin of victory for a Minnesota governor since 1994.
- Minnesota House Democrats are anticipating their biggest majority since the Obama era, Leader Zack Stephenson told reporters.
Yes, but: Trifecta 2.0 will likely look different from the progressive policymaking blitz that defined the DFL's last stretch of full control.
- Unlike in 2023 and 2024, the state is no longer flush with cash, and Klobuchar, a moderate U.S. senator, campaigned on fiscal restraint, fighting fraud and improving the state's business climate.
"Spoiler alert, you may not like everything I do," Klobuchar told a crowd of jubilant Democrats at the InterContinental Hotel in St. Paul last night. "But that's what I ran on, and that is getting things done."
What's next: Klobuchar has promised to conduct a top-to-bottom audit of state government and to replace leaders at fraud-plagued agencies.
What we're watching: Either Klobuchar or outgoing Gov. Tim Walz will appoint an interim U.S. senator to fill her seat, depending on when she steps down.
- A special election will be held in November 2027 to fill the remainder of her term.
More statewide and legislative results:
⚖️ Attorney General Keith Ellison defeated Republican Ron Schutz by 8 percentage points.
🗳️ Secretary of State Steve Simon secured a fourth term as Minnesota's elections chief, with a double-digit victory over Republican Tad Jude.
🔎 And Zack Filipovich, the DFL's nominee for auditor, won his race over former GOP state Sen. Scott Jensen by 9 percentage points.
On the legislative side, Senate Democrats were on track to flip six Republican districts. Just one of their vulnerable incumbents, Moorhead Democrat Rob Kupec, was losing as of this morning.
- That would translate to a net gain of five DFL seats in that chamber, though Kupec's four-vote deficit will trigger a recount.
- Ousted incumbents on the GOP side included longtime Sen. Jim Abeler of Anoka and first-term Sen. Michael Kreun of Blaine.
State House Democrats, meanwhile, were on track to win a 20-seat majority in the 134-seat chamber.
