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November Elections Keep DFL Control in Senate, Create Two New House Vacancies
Special elections filled two open Minnesota Senate seats and kept the DFL’s 34-33 majority intact, while two new House vacancies will trigger more elections before the 2026 legislative session starts in February.
Although odd-year elections are typically focused on city, county, and school board races, unusual circumstances this year led to two Minnesota Senate special elections being held on the Nov. 4 general election day. The outcome of one of those contests, together with the St. Paul mayoral race, means at least two more legislative special elections will be needed before the Legislature convenes for the next regular session on Feb. 17, 2026.
Senate vacancies filled
Two vacant Senate seats were filled in special elections on Nov. 4, restoring the chamber to its full 67 members and preserving the narrow Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) majority of 34 members to Republicans’ 33 seats.
Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL-Woodbury) won the District 47 seat formerly occupied by Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury), who resigned in late July after being convicted of felony burglary charges. In Senate District 29, Michael Holmstrom, Jr. (R-Buffalo) won the seat formerly held by Sen. Bruce Anderson (R-Buffalo Township), who passed away unexpectedly in July.
Both Sen.-elect Hemmingsen-Jaeger and Sen.-elect Holmstrom are expected to be sworn in once the election results are certified in the coming days or weeks.
New House vacancies created
Rep. Hemmingsen-Jaeger’s election to the Senate creates a vacancy in her former House District 47A seat, requiring a special election. A second vacancy in the House follows the election of Rep. Kaohly Her (DFL-St. Paul) as the new mayor of St. Paul.
Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) will call special elections for both seats after election results are certified and the positions are officially vacated. Before election day, the 134-member House was evenly split with 67 DFL and 67 Republican members. Based on recent voting trends, that partisan tie is expected to remain after the special elections.
Record number of special elections in 2025
According to the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, 2025 may set the record for the number of legislative special elections. Due to several deaths and resignations, six special elections have already been held this year, tying the previous record set in 1994. If the two pending House elections take place before year’s end, 2025 will close with a total of eight legislative special elections, the most in state history.