It was a blue-filled election night in Minnesota on Tuesday, one that gives the DFL full control of the House, Senate and the governor's office once more.
With Sen. and now Governor-Elect Amy Klobuchar set to succeed Gov. Tim Walz after defeating current House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R), there will be new leadership in state government.
It's expected that Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) will again lead that body, with current Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) also winning reelection.
But Demuth will be replaced by a new speaker in the State House. Who that person is will be determined when the new legislative session convenes in January.
Expect DFL State Representative Zack Stephenson (Anoka-Coon Rapids) to be at the top of that list. He is currently DFL Caucus Leader.
Stephenson says, heading into a new session with the DFL leading the way, that he's confident in how Governor-elect Klobuchar will work with state lawmakers.
"I am optimistic that we will be able to collaborate and get things done for the people of Minnesota," Stephenson tells WCCO Radio. "We're going to have a great working relationship with Governor-elect Klobuchar, the same way that we had a great relationship with Governor Walz."
Stephenson says he's focused on how the DFL trifecta can work to lower every day costs for Minnesota, the issue that was clearly top-of-mind for voters both in Minnesota, and around the country.
"My concern is that the winds that are blowing against our working and middle class folks will drive us into an economic downturn, and really have some downward pressure on our budget," he explains. "So I will be looking very carefully, as will all of my colleagues, at the November forecast to see where we're headed."
And it is a major issues heading into the 2027 legislative session, as lawmakers are tasked with writing the state's next two-year biennial operating budget for Fiscal Years 2028–2029. There is work to do in order to balance those sheets. It's a very different situation than the Democrats had in the last "DFL trifecta" in 2022-23 where they had an $18 billion surplus.
That led to a significant uptick in spending, and a $72 billion two-year budget, the largest ever in Minnesota.
According to reports from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), the state's baseline financial forecast heading toward the 2027 legislative budget session shows a near-term surplus but a long-term structural imbalance. That means state spending is currently projected to grow at a faster rate than incoming revenues through 2029.
For Klobuchar, she has said during the campaign and again Wednesday after the election, she plans a top-to-bottom audit of state government after several years of ongoing fraud has been discovered inside social programming.
"I want to make sure that we don't waste any time and we get the the audit started right now," she said in a call with reporters. "Then when the inspector general starts, when that office is brought up, we will then be working with that office."
Klobuchar also added she plans to implement a "growth agenda" for creating jobs and making it easier to do business in Minnesota.
The 2027 legislative session begins January 12.
"I am optimistic that we will be able to collaborate and get things done," says DFL Caucus Leader Zack Stephenson
"I am optimistic that we will be able to collaborate and get things done," says DFL Caucus Leader Zack Stephenson
