Democrats win control of Minnesota Senate

Democratic candidate Doron Clark is projected to win a special election for a vacant Minnesota Senate seat, giving Democrats control of the upper chamber, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Clark, who works at health care technology company Medtronic, defeated Republican candidate and software engineer Abigail Wolters for Senate District 60. The district includes portions of northeastern Minneapolis.

The vacancy was prompted after former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (DFL) died of cancer last month, bringing partisan control of the state Senate to a 33-33 tie.

The Minnesota House is also experiencing a tie of 67-67 after a judge ruled that a Democratic candidate didn’t meet residency requirements for a seat he had won. Democrats were expected to have a 68-67 edge, but that development brought the state House back to a split.

The parties have been at a loggerheads over how to conduct business in the Minnesota House. The state’s Supreme Court recently ruled, however, that the House needs 68 members present in order to conduct business – meaning Republicans couldn’t elect their own Speaker and conduct business without Democrats.

Democrats are continuing to boycott the session until both parties come to a power-sharing agreement in the state House.

Topics

Kennedy grilled by Senate Democrats on vaccines and abortion

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's controversial nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, attempted to recast his record as a vaccine skeptic as he faced tough questions from Senate ...
NBC News - 17h
Democrats flip Iowa state Senate seat

Democrats have flipped an Iowa state Senate seat in a district that overwhelmingly voted for President Trump in November. Democrat Mike Zimmer, who has worked in education and serves as the ...
The Hill - 1d
Senate Democrats block GOP's ICC sanctions bill

Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked Republicans from advancing legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court, arguing the bill had sweeping consequences on allies and American ...
The Hill - 1d
Minnesota Supreme Court sides with Democrats in state House dispute

The Minnesota Supreme Court handed Democrats a major win Friday, effectively ruling that Republicans didn’t have enough members to conduct business in the Minnesota House. The state’s highest court ...
The Hill - 5d
Senate Democrats boil over Laken Riley missteps

The Laken Riley Act is roiling the Senate Democratic Conference, as senators believe their party bungled immigration and border security in 2024 but aren’t happy about the swift passage of a bill ...
The Hill - Jan. 21
Minnesota state House Democrats walk out in effort to block GOP speaker vote

Minnesota’s Democratic state representatives walked out Tuesday, failing to show up for the first day of the legislative session to deny the state House a quorum amid a fight over how to manage a ...
NBC News - Jan. 14
Walz endorses Minnesota Democratic chair as next DNC leader

Former vice presidential hopeful Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is backing Ken Martin, the Democratic state party chair in Minnesota, in his bid to take the helm of the Democratic National Committee ...
The Hill - Jan. 9
Democratic senator: Alito has made impropriety the norm

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Thursday blasted conservative Justice Samuel Alito for having a conversation with President-elect Trump amidst ...
The Hill - Jan. 9
Gillibrand to head Senate Democrats’ campaign arm

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) has been tapped by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, for ...
The Hill - Jan. 6