New DFL majorities in House and Senate may open way to much legislation
The red wave of 2022 ran up against a blue tsunami in Minnesota on November 8 as DFL incumbents turned back challenge after challenge from their Republican opponents. In a year when incumbents were expected to be vulnerable because of a downturn in the economy, budget-busting inflation and a rising crime rate, the DFL held onto the offices of Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor and Attorney General. The party kept its majority in the state House of Representatives and captured the majority in the state Senate.
The next biennium will be the first time in 10 years that a single political party has held the governor’s office and the majority in both houses of the Minnesota Legislature.
“The alignment…presents a tremendous opportunity to advance a legislative agenda that lifts up families and allows every person in the state the chance to thrive,” said Representative Dave Pinto, who on November 8 won his fifth term in District 64B (Highland Park and Macalester-Groveland).
With Republicans in control of the state Senate in recent years, House DFLers have been unable to advance legislation expanding criminal background checks for gun sales, increasing funding for law enforcement and community violence prevention, and greater accountability in the criminal justice system, Pinto said. “I expect all of these to have much stronger support this coming session,” he said. “I also expect to see significant funding increases for public education and strong support for quality child care and early learning.”
Pinto said he also expects the Legislature to legalize the recreational use of marijuana by adults through a public health framework similar to that already passed by the DFL-controlled House.
Erin Murphy, a former member of the Minnesota House, won her second term in the state Senate in District 64 in the southwest quarter of Saint Paul. She was jubilant after the election. “I chaired the (DFL’s) Senate Caucus Campaign in 2022,” Murphy said. “We won a pro-choice majority, which many believed impossible.”
Murphy said Minnesotans can expect to see the Legislature in the coming biennium “advance reproductive freedom and address worker shortages and workplace safety and the urgent issue of climate change. We’ll structurally balance the budget and invest in our communities and families to make life a little easier.”
Included below are the results of the November 8 general election in all of the statewide races and in the congressional, legislative, county and municipal races in the area served by MyVillager. Only those races in which there were more candidates than positions available are included:
Governor-Lieutenant Governor
Walz-Flanagan 1,312,303 52.3%
Jensen-Birk 1,119,926 44.6%
McCaskel-Sandbeck 29,436 1.2%
Patterson-Huff 22,605 0.9%
McTavish-Winter 18,160 0.7%
Prosser-Dwire 7,240 0.3%
Secretary of State
Steve Simon 1,345,684 54.5%
Kim Crockett 1,119,960 45.4%
State Auditor
Julia Blaha 1,168,177 47.5%
Ryan Wilson 1,159,742 47.1%
Tim Davis 87,388 3.6%
Will Finn 44,270 1.8%
Attorney General
Keith Ellison 1,254,372 50.4%
Jim Schultz 1,233,573 49.5%
U.S. Representative – District 4
Betty McCollum 200,052 67.6%
May Lor Xiong 95,493 32.3%
U.S. Representative – District 2
Angie Craig 165,581 50.9%
Tyler Kistner 148,578 45.7%
Paula M. Overby 1 0,730 3.3%
State Senator – District 53
Matt Klein 21,501 58.2%
Chris Rausch 15,374 41.6%
State Senator – District 64
Erin Murphy 36,686 84.2%
Robert Bushard 6,823 15.7%
State Senator – District 65
Sandy Pappas 20,228 80.1%
Paul Holmgren 4,960 19.7%
State Senator – District 66
Clare O. Verbeten 23,987 78.4%
Mikki M. Murray 5,522 18%
Jeremy J. Peichel 1,061 3.5%
State Representative – District 53A
Mary F. Clardy 10,777 54.5%
Todd Kruse 8,188 41.4%
Brent Jacobson 785 4%
State Representative – District 52B
Ruth Richardson 13,934 61.7%
Cynthia Lonnquist 8,636 38.2%
State Representative – District 64A
Kaohly Vang Her 18,080 85.1%
Dan Walsh 3,128 14.7%
State Representative – District 64B
Dave Pinto 18,126 82.6%
Lorraine Englund 3,790 17.3%
State Representative – District 65A
Samakab Hussein 7,018 71.2%
John Schonebaum 1,522 15.4%
Miki Frost 1,302 13.2%
State Representative – District 65B
Maria Pérez-Hedges 11,955 78.5%
Kevin Fjelsted 3,247 21.3%
State Representative – District 66A
Leigh Finke 15,635 81.1%
Trace Johnson 3,569 18.5%
State Representative – District 66B
Athena Hollins 8,640 78.4%
Jay Hill 2,364 21.5%
Ramsey Cty. Commissioner – District 3
Trista MatasCastillo 14,852 74.8%
David A. Singleton 4,812 24.2%
Ramsey Cty. Commissioner – District 4
Rena Moran 19,015 81.3%
Darryl Spence 4,177 17.9%
Ramsey Cty. Commissioner – District 5
Rafael E. Ortega 18,497 70.8%
Bill Hosko 7,455 28.5%
Dakota Cty. Commissioner-District 3
Laurie Halverson 16,905 74.7%
Janine Hudson 5,547 24.5%
Dakota Cty. Attorney
Kathy Keena 84,520 51.5%
Matt Little 78,847 48.1%
Judge, 1st District Court 11
Charles F. Webber 140,591 55%
Matthew R. Hanson 114,212 44.7%
Lilydale Mayor
John E. Diehl 415 75.3%
Steve Grego 133 24.1%
Mendota Heights Mayor
Stephanie Levine 4,343 59.1%
John P. Maczko 2,998 40.8%
Mendota Hts. City Council (top two elected)
Sally M. Lorberbaum 4,553 41.1%
John R. Mazzitello 4,281 38.6%
Jeff Nath 2,167 19.6%
— Dale Mischke
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