Walker Orenstein reports on the state Legislature for MinnPost, with a particular focus on covering issues affecting Greater Minnesota. He can be reached at worenstein@minnpost.com, and you can follow him on Twitter at @walkerorenstein.
The DFL owes its new one-vote majority in the state Senate and its narrow control of Minnesota government to just a handful of candidates who won close elections last week.
The dream of a suburban revolt against DFL Attorney General Keith Ellison from voters concerned about public safety failed to materialize.
DFL Senators gathered at the Capitol said support for abortion rights in the suburbs and some remaining DFL-friendly districts in Greater Minnesota made the difference.
The GOP had hoped to win seats in battleground legislative races across the Twin Cities suburbs. Instead, Democrats did well in places like Coon Rapids, Lino Lakes, Blaine and Shakopee.
In Tuesday’s election, Ellison kept up the DFL’s AG winning streak, which started in 1970. Republicans trailed in every statewide race, imperiling the party’s shot at its first statewide victory since 2006.
Is abortion access settled law in Minnesota? Listening to DFL and Republican candidates might leave you feeling confused. This MinnPost guide to abortion law in Minnesota has you covered.
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) endorsed far more Republicans than Democrats this year in a gradual shift away from the DFL.
At issue is a settlement with a Minnesota-based egg producer, which Ellison last year accused of price gouging during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While attorneys general usually focus on key duties like representing state agencies in court and handling consumer protection cases, police reform has in many ways defined Ellison’s first term in office and become a major flashpoint in what polls show is a hotly contested reelection campaign.
Republican Jim Schultz has pledged to add dozens of new criminal prosecutors to the attorney general’s office in Minnesota and even circumvent elected county attorneys to fight crime.
A new poll found an improving mood among likely voters surveyed in Minneapolis and St. Paul, a gloomy but largely unchanged one in Greater Minnesota and an outlook in the metro suburbs that is far worse than views in a June poll.
The race for state auditor is also tied, but DFL Secretary of State Steve Simon leads Republican Kim Crockett.
The Austin area was once a Democratic bastion, in part thanks to union support in the meatpacking industry. But in 2020, voters ousted the DFL state lawmakers. Tom Stiehm illustrates the type of candidate Democrats think might win in Greater Minnesota.
While the region has been DFL territory, GOP legislative hopefuls need only look to strong showings for Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber to know the region is truly up for grabs. Victories here will help determine who controls the state Legislature in 2023.
In 2018, Walz’s “One Minnesota” message fared reasonably well in Greater Minnesota, where the Mankato Democrat did better than some others in his party. Now he’s running for reelection as a St. Paul Democrat against a challenger who seeks to make larger inroads outside the Twin Cities metro.
The DFL has been losing support in northern Minnesota, and court-determined redistricting has changed the political map. A MinnPost analysis shows these five Senate races and 15 House races are the ones to watch in 2022.
The endorsements could influence the contests because Bakk remains a well known politician in the Iron Range area.
States like Washington and Massachusetts plan to join California in largely banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.
The governor’s flagship climate program was the target of sharp political backlash. Now, its impact could be limited, as the program could last just one year.
Black Minnesotans are subjects in the vast majority of the raids, at a level that is far disproportionate compared to state demographics.
