By any measure, Tuesday's Midterm Election was a resounding success for Democrats, both nationally where some shocking seats long held by Republicans were flipped, and also in Minnesota where once again, the DFL dominated statewide races.
And, despite some likely recounts, Democrats have also regained control of the Minnesota Legislature, and potentially flipped one of the state's eight Congressional seats.
This wasn't just a blue wave. It was a shattering earthquake of wins on the left.
At the top of the ticket, Minnesota elected its first-ever female governor, with current U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar defeating House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R).
"You showed up Minnesota. You showed up like you have all year," Klobuchar said during her acceptance speech. "You inspire me, and as your next governor, I will work my heart out for you. I promise that I will be a transformative governor for this state."
It was a large margin too, with Klobuchar winning by 13 points. That's the largest in a Minnesota governor's race since Gov. Arne Carlson's dominant win in 1994. The DFL won every statewide office by 10 points or more, continuing a 20-year winning streak. The last GOP win in a statewide race was Gov. Tim Pawlenty in the 2006 governor's race.
"It is a difficult night, but first what I want to say to you is thank you," Demuth said in conceding. "As our state moves forward, there are still things that need to be fixed and done. And my request of all of you is that we work together and we hold people accountable for the changes and protections that need to happen in this state."
The changes begin with the fraud. Despite the state's GOP hammering away at needing change in order to fix the fraud found across much of the social programs in Minnesota state government, voters instead chose the DFL once more. Klobuchar's message of a "top-to-bottom audit" of state government seemed to resonate more.
It also seems to have been drowned out by cost-of-living issues, the fallout after "Operation Metro Surge," and what was a repudiation of President Donald Trump's policies nationwide that also carried into Minnesota.
"Trust is not given, it is earned," Klobuchar said late Tuesday after winning election. "It comes with expectations, and that is results. And we will deliver results, results that you can see and feel in your life, and we will do it with our legislature."
DFL will own another state "trifecta"
The state legislature will also be deep blue. After several years of a one-vote majority or dead tie in both chambers, initial results show a comfortable margin for the DFL Party.
They now have as many as 75 seats in the House and 39 in the state Senate, giving them a comfortable majority in both. All 201 seats were up for election last night.
"Turnout was much higher in Minnesota than 2018 or 2022 by about 300,000, 400,000 votes," explains WCCO Political Analyst Blois Olson. "Most of those votes went to Democrats, and Democrats expanded the map. There's a new map in Minnesota. Democrats won seats in the exurbs that they had never won before."
Olson also says do not expect this DFL trifecta to be like the last one, in 2023-24, which led to record state spending. He says this time, the circumstances are different, and the governor will be different.
"The other difference this time is we do not have an $18 billion surplus," Olson notes. "We're going to have a structural deficit. But there is going to be great pressure on Governor-elect Klobuchar to spend, to find money for healthcare, to find money for other programs, and her top-to-bottom audit is not going to be well received by all Democrats."
Democrats again dominate statewide races
In addition to Klobuchar, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan held off GOP challenger Michele Tafoya 54% to 44%, Attorney General Keith Ellison beats Republican Ron Schutz, 55% to 45%, Sec. of State Steve Simon beats Republican Tad Jude, 56% to 41%, and DFLer Zack Filipovich beats Republican Scott Jensen, 54% to 43% in the State Auditor race.
"It is time to end the Trump era of chaos, cruelty, and corruption," Flanagan said in her acceptance speech. "And friends, it is time for new voices to shake up our party and take back our nation."
There is also one Congressional seat still to be determined. In District 1 in southern Minnesota, GOP Rep. Brad Finstad trails DFLer Jake Johnson, 49.99% to 49.89%. The two are separated by 324 votes and is certainly heading for a mandatory recount.
If the result holds, it would add to the win tally for Dems who now will hold a huge majority in the U.S. House. They also will take control of the U.S. Senate.
All of the other seven Congressional Districts fell to incumbents, outside of the open seat in District 2 where Matt Little (DFL) defeated Eric Pratt ( R) 57% to 42%. That is the seat previously held by Democrat Angie Craig, who lost the primary to Flanagan in the race for Senate.
CD3 was held by Kelly Morrison (DFL), CD4 goes to Betty McCollum (DFL), and CD5 to Ilhan Omar (DFL). CD6 remains Republican with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer winning reelection. Michelle Fischbah (R) holds CD7 while Pete Stauber (R) is reelected in CD8.
"For months I've said, can Republicans turn them out in greater Minnesota or do Democrats just dominate the turnout game? The interesting thing was Democrats turned them out in places they had never turned them out before," Olson adds.
State party chairs share very different messages
DFL party chair Richard Carlbom says he wasn't surprised by the high turnout across the state and said Minnesota appeared to be following suit as Democratic victories continued to rack up across the country Tuesday.
"It's the affordability crisis. Three to one, that is the number one issue people talk to us about," Carlbom said. "Trump's war in Iran, and the tariff taxes, and the big ugly bill that cut healthcare. People are really worried about the long term impact the affordability crisis is going to have on them and their families."
On the GOP side, the mood was very different as their statewide losing streak will continue, and gains they made in the state legislature in the last election were totally erased. Alex Plechash is the outgoing chairperson of the Minnesota Republican Party, and he said there were a number of factors at play in this particular election.
"This midterm election was particularly divisive, I would say, around the country," Plechash adds. "There were things that were unusual. Even the war in Iran, certainly didn't help. And here locally, Operation Metro Surge didn't help, and the DFL certainly played on that. They made sure that people didn't forget that."
Plechash did say he believes they had a good chance, and had many good candidates, who will go on to fight another day. They are not, he said, defeated.
Democrats won every statewide election in Minnesota, and will control both the State House and Senate
Democrats won every statewide election in Minnesota, and will control both the State House and Senate
