Zach Dorholt knows people are sick of seeing his face.
For weeks now, residents in St. Cloud have been deluged with brightly colored, glossy pieces of mail covered with Dorholt’s mug. Some people have gotten so much already that they’ve called Dorholt up personally to ask him to make it stop. “There are already people angry and people upset about the radio ads and TV ads and the mailers in particular,” said Dorholt, a Democrat running for a state House seat in District 14B. “We get messages from people who say, ‘Take me off your list.’ ”
He can’t. It turns out that most of the mail sent to Dorholt’s friends and neighbors isn’t coming from him; it’s coming from political parties and other outside campaign groups. In fact, Dorholt has only sent out four pieces of political mail about himself so far, modest in comparison to the output of some politicians running for office.
“There’s an entire element that’s out of your control,” Dorholt said, “But you get blamed for all of it.”
There’s a reason for the litany of literature, of course. St. Cloud is one of the most competitive areas in the state when it comes to deciding who will control the Minnesota Legislature. Both St. Cloud-area House Districts, 14A and 14B, have already attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign spending — more than any other in the state — and an open Senate seat in the district is also attracting a lot of attention.
Yet St. Cloud is hardly the only place that’s seen such a conspicuous influx of political cash. Competitive seats from Red Wing to Minnetonka are also seeing gobs of spending, mostly from the parties and outside groups.
Money floods districts
Because all 201 House and Senate seats — but no statewide candidates — are on the ballot this fall, political parties and outside spending groups are focusing all of their fire on the Legislature. And there’s a lot of fire. Outside groups have already spent nearly $5 million on legislative races since Jan. 1, not including money spent on competitive primary contests, according to campaign finance reports released last week.
But not all 201 races are equally competitive. Many outstate seats and races in the urban core are solidly Republican or Democratic and haven’t attracted any outside campaign spending this cycle. But about two dozen districts in the House and Senate popped up on various PAC spending reports, signaling they are more competitive. That includes districts where the voters tend to swing back and forth, like Northfield and St. Cloud, as well as districts where retirements have made the area more competitive, including seats in Red Wing and Minnetonka.
To give you an idea of where outside groups are concentrating their spending, the charts below money spent by groups supporting Republicans and groups supporting Democrats in each of Minnesota’s House and Senate districts. The darker the green of the district, the more money was spent there by outside groups. (Note: MinnPost did not include data that showed spending for or against a candidate in a different district than he or she is running in this year, or for candidates who lost in the August primary.)
Minnesota House — Spending to benefit Republican candidates
Greater Minnesota | Metro | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2A
House District 2A Total spending: $35,185.6 Candidates:
|
|||||||||||||||||
1A
House District 1A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
1B
House District 1B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
2B
House District 2B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
6A
House District 6A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
6B
House District 6B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
3B
House District 3B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
3A
House District 3A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||||||||
4A
House District 4A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
4B
House District 4B Total spending: $52,092.06 Candidates:
|
5A
House District 5A Total spending: $34,225.65 Candidates:
|
5B
House District 5B Total spending: $72,743.76 Candidates:
|
7B
House District 7B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
7A
House District 7A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||||||||||||
8A
House District 8A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
8B
House District 8B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
10A
House District 10A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
10B
House District 10B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
11A
House District 11A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
30A
House District 30A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
30B
House District 30B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
35A
House District 35A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
35B
House District 35B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
31B
House District 31B Total spending: $24,877.32 Candidates:
|
32B
House District 32B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||||
12A
House District 12A Total spending: $26,242.0 Candidates:
|
9A
House District 9A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
9B
House District 9B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
15B
House District 15B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
11B
House District 11B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
34A
House District 34A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
36A
House District 36A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
36B
House District 36B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
37A
House District 37A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
37B
House District 37B Total spending: $18,488.4 Candidates:
|
38A
House District 38A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
38B
House District 38B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
39A
House District 39A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||
12B
House District 12B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
13A
House District 13A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
13B
House District 13B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
15A
House District 15A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
32A
House District 32A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
34B
House District 34B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
40A
House District 40A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
40B
House District 40B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
41A
House District 41A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
41B
House District 41B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
42A
House District 42A Total spending: $8,669.72 Candidates:
|
42B
House District 42B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
43A
House District 43A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||
17A
House District 17A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
17B
House District 17B Total spending: $72,715.85 Candidates:
|
14A
House District 14A Total spending: $36,190.28 Candidates:
|
14B
House District 14B Total spending: $107,228.67 Candidates:
|
31A
House District 31A Total spending: $30,052.05 Candidates:
|
44A
House District 44A Total spending: $23,574.0 Candidates:
|
45A
House District 45A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
45B
House District 45B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
59A
House District 59A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
60A
House District 60A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
66A
House District 66A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
66B
House District 66B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
67A
House District 67A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
43B
House District 43B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
39B
House District 39B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||
16A
House District 16A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
18A
House District 18A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
29A
House District 29A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
29B
House District 29B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
44B
House District 44B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
46A
House District 46A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
59B
House District 59B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
60B
House District 60B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
64A
House District 64A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
65A
House District 65A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
67B
House District 67B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
53A
House District 53A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||||||
16B
House District 16B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
18B
House District 18B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
47A
House District 47A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
33A
House District 33A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
33B
House District 33B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
46B
House District 46B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
61A
House District 61A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
62A
House District 62A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
63A
House District 63A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
65B
House District 65B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
53B
House District 53B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
54B
House District 54B Total spending: $13,787.97 Candidates:
|
||||||
19A
House District 19A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
20A
House District 20A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
20B
House District 20B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
58B
House District 58B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
21A
House District 21A Total spending: $118,460.86 Candidates:
|
21B
House District 21B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
48A
House District 48A Total spending: $70,878.77 Candidates:
|
49A
House District 49A Total spending: $22,970.83 Candidates:
|
61B
House District 61B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
62B
House District 62B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
63B
House District 63B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
64B
House District 64B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
52A
House District 52A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
54A
House District 54A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||||
22B
House District 22B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
19B
House District 19B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
23B
House District 23B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
25B
House District 25B Total spending: $31,652.31 Candidates:
|
24B
House District 24B Total spending: $74,751.88 Candidates:
|
25A
House District 25A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
28A
House District 28A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
47B
House District 47B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
48B
House District 48B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
49B
House District 49B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
50A
House District 50A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
50B
House District 50B Total spending: $60,550.59 Candidates:
|
51A
House District 51A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
51B
House District 51B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
52B
House District 52B Total spending: $35,283.63 Candidates:
|
|||
22A
House District 22A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
23A
House District 23A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
24A
House District 24A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
26B
House District 26B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
26A
House District 26A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
27A
House District 27A Total spending: $41,329.0 Candidates:
|
27B
House District 27B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
28B
House District 28B Total spending: $50,498.24 Candidates:
|
55A
House District 55A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
55B
House District 55B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
56A
House District 56A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
56B
House District 56B Total spending: $90,502.1 Candidates:
|
58A
House District 58A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
57A
House District 57A Total spending: $19,730.61 Candidates:
|
57B
House District 57B Total spending: $20,845.8 Candidates:
|
Legend
- Up to $118,460
- Up to $94,768
- Up to $71,076
- Up to $47,384
- Up to $23,692
- No spending data reported
Minnesota House — Spending to benefit Democratic candidates
Greater Minnesota | Metro | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2A
House District 2A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||||||||||||||
1A
House District 1A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
1B
House District 1B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
2B
House District 2B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
6A
House District 6A Total spending: $16,623.59 Candidates:
|
6B
House District 6B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
3B
House District 3B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
3A
House District 3A Total spending: $5,684.71 Candidates:
|
|||||||||||
4A
House District 4A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
4B
House District 4B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
5A
House District 5A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
5B
House District 5B Total spending: $27,767.27 Candidates:
|
7B
House District 7B Total spending: $888.57 Candidates:
|
7A
House District 7A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||||||||||||
8A
House District 8A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
8B
House District 8B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
10A
House District 10A Total spending: $12,951.93 Candidates:
|
10B
House District 10B Total spending: $20,929.11 Candidates:
|
11A
House District 11A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
30A
House District 30A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
30B
House District 30B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
35A
House District 35A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
35B
House District 35B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
31B
House District 31B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
32B
House District 32B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||||
12A
House District 12A Total spending: $65,153.85 Candidates:
|
9A
House District 9A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
9B
House District 9B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
15B
House District 15B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
11B
House District 11B Total spending: $20,779.61 Candidates:
|
34A
House District 34A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
36A
House District 36A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
36B
House District 36B Total spending: $5,725.0 Candidates:
|
37A
House District 37A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
37B
House District 37B Total spending: $79,662.81 Candidates:
|
38A
House District 38A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
38B
House District 38B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
39A
House District 39A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||
12B
House District 12B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
13A
House District 13A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
13B
House District 13B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
15A
House District 15A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
32A
House District 32A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
34B
House District 34B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
40A
House District 40A Total spending: $1,500.0 Candidates:
|
40B
House District 40B Total spending: $318.48 Candidates:
|
41A
House District 41A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
41B
House District 41B Total spending: $1,615.28 Candidates:
|
42A
House District 42A Total spending: $23,041.77 Candidates:
|
42B
House District 42B Total spending: $338.49 Candidates:
|
43A
House District 43A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||
17A
House District 17A Total spending: $22,583.19 Candidates:
|
17B
House District 17B Total spending: $101,006.32 Candidates:
|
14A
House District 14A Total spending: $178,703.87 Candidates:
|
14B
House District 14B Total spending: $181,458.6 Candidates:
|
31A
House District 31A Total spending: $1,413.99 Candidates:
|
44A
House District 44A Total spending: $93,399.91 Candidates:
|
45A
House District 45A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
45B
House District 45B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
59A
House District 59A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
60A
House District 60A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
66A
House District 66A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
66B
House District 66B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
67A
House District 67A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
43B
House District 43B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
39B
House District 39B Total spending: $12,951.92 Candidates:
|
|||
16A
House District 16A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
18A
House District 18A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
29A
House District 29A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
29B
House District 29B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
44B
House District 44B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
46A
House District 46A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
59B
House District 59B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
60B
House District 60B Total spending: $932.67 Candidates:
|
64A
House District 64A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
65A
House District 65A Total spending: $3,679.5 Candidates:
|
67B
House District 67B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
53A
House District 53A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||||||
16B
House District 16B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
18B
House District 18B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
47A
House District 47A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
33A
House District 33A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
33B
House District 33B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
46B
House District 46B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
61A
House District 61A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
62A
House District 62A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
63A
House District 63A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
65B
House District 65B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
53B
House District 53B Total spending: $13,634.53 Candidates:
|
54B
House District 54B Total spending: $46,937.51 Candidates:
|
||||||
19A
House District 19A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
20A
House District 20A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
20B
House District 20B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
58B
House District 58B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
21A
House District 21A Total spending: $96,237.37 Candidates:
|
21B
House District 21B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
48A
House District 48A Total spending: $105,356.75 Candidates:
|
49A
House District 49A Total spending: $13,484.2 Candidates:
|
61B
House District 61B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
62B
House District 62B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
63B
House District 63B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
64B
House District 64B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
52A
House District 52A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
54A
House District 54A Total spending: $439.89 Candidates:
|
||||
22B
House District 22B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
19B
House District 19B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
23B
House District 23B Total spending: $37,347.76 Candidates:
|
25B
House District 25B Total spending: $52,752.29 Candidates:
|
24B
House District 24B Total spending: $115,786.31 Candidates:
|
25A
House District 25A Total spending: $476.21 Candidates:
|
28A
House District 28A Total spending: $4,291.98 Candidates:
|
47B
House District 47B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
48B
House District 48B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
49B
House District 49B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
50A
House District 50A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
50B
House District 50B Total spending: $20,909.75 Candidates:
|
51A
House District 51A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
51B
House District 51B Total spending: $19,431.38 Candidates:
|
52B
House District 52B Total spending: $23,064.64 Candidates:
|
|||
22A
House District 22A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
23A
House District 23A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
24A
House District 24A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
26B
House District 26B Total spending: $205.23 Candidates:
|
26A
House District 26A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
27A
House District 27A Total spending: $41,788.78 Candidates:
|
27B
House District 27B Total spending: $283.05 Candidates:
|
28B
House District 28B Total spending: $113,162.08 Candidates:
|
55A
House District 55A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
55B
House District 55B No spending data reported Candidates:
|
56A
House District 56A No spending data reported Candidates:
|
56B
House District 56B Total spending: $107,482.58 Candidates:
|
58A
House District 58A Total spending: $239.82 Candidates:
|
57A
House District 57A Total spending: $83,754.4 Candidates:
|
57B
House District 57B Total spending: $57,479.09 Candidates:
|
Legend
- Up to $181,458
- Up to $145,166
- Up to $108,875
- Up to $72,583
- Up to $36,291
- No spending data reported
Minnesota Senate — Spending to benefit Republican candidates
Greater Minnesota | Metro | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2
Senate District 2 Total spending: $500.0 Candidates:
|
||||||||||||
1
Senate District 1 Total spending: $1,046.7 Candidates:
|
4
Senate District 4 Total spending: $52,344.17 Candidates:
|
5
Senate District 5 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
6
Senate District 6 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
3
Senate District 3 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||||||||
8
Senate District 8 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
9
Senate District 9 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
10
Senate District 10 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
11
Senate District 11 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
7
Senate District 7 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
35
Senate District 35 Total spending: $2,475.51 Candidates:
|
|||||||
12
Senate District 12 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
13
Senate District 13 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
14
Senate District 14 Total spending: $514.2 Candidates:
|
15
Senate District 15 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
32
Senate District 32 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
34
Senate District 34 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
36
Senate District 36 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
37
Senate District 37 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
38
Senate District 38 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||||
16
Senate District 16 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
29
Senate District 29 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
30
Senate District 30 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
31
Senate District 31 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
33
Senate District 33 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
40
Senate District 40 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
41
Senate District 41 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
42
Senate District 42 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
39
Senate District 39 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
43
Senate District 43 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||
17
Senate District 17 Total spending: $7,633.07 Candidates:
|
18
Senate District 18 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
47
Senate District 47 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
58
Senate District 58 Total spending: $514.2 Candidates:
|
48
Senate District 48 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
44
Senate District 44 Total spending: $22,195.95 Candidates:
|
46
Senate District 46 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
45
Senate District 45 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
59
Senate District 59 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
60
Senate District 60 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
66
Senate District 66 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||
19
Senate District 19 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
20
Senate District 20 Total spending: $34,831.97 Candidates:
|
21
Senate District 21 Total spending: $24,735.0 Candidates:
|
50
Senate District 50 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
49
Senate District 49 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
61
Senate District 61 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
62
Senate District 62 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
63
Senate District 63 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
64
Senate District 64 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||||
24
Senate District 24 Total spending: $500.0 Candidates:
|
25
Senate District 25 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
26
Senate District 26 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
51
Senate District 51 Total spending: $46,605.75 Candidates:
|
52
Senate District 52 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
65
Senate District 65 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
67
Senate District 67 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
53
Senate District 53 Total spending: $500.0 Candidates:
|
54
Senate District 54 Total spending: $514.2 Candidates:
|
||||
22
Senate District 22 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
23
Senate District 23 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
27
Senate District 27 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
28
Senate District 28 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
55
Senate District 55 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
57
Senate District 57 Total spending: $26,828.35 Candidates:
|
56
Senate District 56 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
Legend
- Up to $52,344
- Up to $41,875
- Up to $31,406
- Up to $20,937
- Up to $10,468
- No spending data reported
Minnesota Senate — Spending to benefit Democratic candidates
Greater Minnesota | Metro | |||||||||||
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2
Senate District 2 Total spending: $62,007.22 Candidates:
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1
Senate District 1 No spending data reported Candidates:
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4
Senate District 4 Total spending: $28,419.02 Candidates:
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5
Senate District 5 Total spending: $362.99 Candidates:
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6
Senate District 6 No spending data reported Candidates:
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3
Senate District 3 No spending data reported Candidates:
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8
Senate District 8 No spending data reported Candidates:
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9
Senate District 9 No spending data reported Candidates:
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10
Senate District 10 No spending data reported Candidates:
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11
Senate District 11 No spending data reported Candidates:
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7
Senate District 7 Total spending: $311.36 Candidates:
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35
Senate District 35 Total spending: $17,395.62 Candidates:
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12
Senate District 12 Total spending: $362.99 Candidates:
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13
Senate District 13 No spending data reported Candidates:
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14
Senate District 14 Total spending: $133,541.77 Candidates:
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15
Senate District 15 No spending data reported Candidates:
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32
Senate District 32 No spending data reported Candidates:
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34
Senate District 34 No spending data reported Candidates:
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36
Senate District 36 Total spending: $166,361.59 Candidates:
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37
Senate District 37 Total spending: $105,390.05 Candidates:
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38
Senate District 38 No spending data reported Candidates:
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16
Senate District 16 No spending data reported Candidates:
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29
Senate District 29 No spending data reported Candidates:
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30
Senate District 30 No spending data reported Candidates:
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31
Senate District 31 No spending data reported Candidates:
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33
Senate District 33 No spending data reported Candidates:
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40
Senate District 40 No spending data reported Candidates:
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41
Senate District 41 No spending data reported Candidates:
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42
Senate District 42 Total spending: $907.01 Candidates:
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39
Senate District 39 No spending data reported Candidates:
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43
Senate District 43 No spending data reported Candidates:
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17
Senate District 17 Total spending: $100,227.11 Candidates:
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18
Senate District 18 No spending data reported Candidates:
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47
Senate District 47 No spending data reported Candidates:
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58
Senate District 58 Total spending: $550.4 Candidates:
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48
Senate District 48 Total spending: $187,870.69 Candidates:
|
44
Senate District 44 Total spending: $176,824.16 Candidates:
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46
Senate District 46 No spending data reported Candidates:
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45
Senate District 45 No spending data reported Candidates:
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59
Senate District 59 Total spending: $246.76 Candidates:
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60
Senate District 60 No spending data reported Candidates:
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66
Senate District 66 No spending data reported Candidates:
|
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19
Senate District 19 Total spending: $351.58 Candidates:
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20
Senate District 20 Total spending: $138,546.77 Candidates:
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21
Senate District 21 Total spending: $127,289.84 Candidates:
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50
Senate District 50 No spending data reported Candidates:
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49
Senate District 49 Total spending: $11,671.56 Candidates:
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61
Senate District 61 No spending data reported Candidates:
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62
Senate District 62 Total spending: $438.82 Candidates:
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63
Senate District 63 No spending data reported Candidates:
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64
Senate District 64 No spending data reported Candidates:
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24
Senate District 24 Total spending: $72,502.61 Candidates:
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25
Senate District 25 Total spending: $362.99 Candidates:
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26
Senate District 26 Total spending: $362.99 Candidates:
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51
Senate District 51 Total spending: $10,110.5 Candidates:
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52
Senate District 52 Total spending: $8,167.22 Candidates:
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65
Senate District 65 No spending data reported Candidates:
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67
Senate District 67 No spending data reported Candidates:
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53
Senate District 53 Total spending: $10,225.94 Candidates:
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54
Senate District 54 Total spending: $363.28 Candidates:
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22
Senate District 22 No spending data reported Candidates:
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23
Senate District 23 No spending data reported Candidates:
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27
Senate District 27 Total spending: $5,399.8 Candidates:
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28
Senate District 28 No spending data reported Candidates:
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55
Senate District 55 No spending data reported Candidates:
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57
Senate District 57 Total spending: $97,811.78 Candidates:
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56
Senate District 56 No spending data reported Candidates:
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Legend
- Up to $187,870
- Up to $150,296
- Up to $112,722
- Up to $75,148
- Up to $37,574
- No spending data reported
Much of that spending is coming from a single group: Alliance for a Better Minnesota. The Democratic-aligned PAC has spent $2 million so far to on radio, television and mailers in nearly every competitive legislative district across the state (see MinnPosts 25 races watch this fall). On the Republican side, Pro Jobs Majority, which is funded mostly by members of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, is the only group that gets close to ABM, spending nearly $500,000 on legislative races to date.
Political parties are also spending big on the legislative races to either defend or regain the majority in the House and Senate. The Democratic-Farmer Labor-Party has already raised and spent more than $4 million this cycle, vastly outpacing the Republican Party of Minnesota and the four legislative caucuses associated with the parties.
Campaign finance reports can help to illuminate a candidate’s strategy, but they can also be misleading. Districts with little spending now could still get a big influx of cash in the final weeks of the election. And sometimes the political parties pour money into districts early that are not core targets in order to force opponents to spread their resources out in more areas.
Cities like St. Cloud were expected to attract plenty of money. Republicans swept the area’s seats in the low-turnout 2014 midterm elections, wins that included Jim Knoblach’s defeat of Dorholt — by less than 100 votes. And in a presidential year like 2016, Democrats hope they can flip the entire district with higher turnout. Knoblach is now chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, a prominent position that’s also attracted more Republican resources in the district.
In other parts of the state, Democrats are going after other prominent Republicans, including House Taxes Chairman Greg Davids in southern Minnesota’s District 28B. The district went for President Barack Obama and DFL U.S. Sen. Al Franken in 2012 and 2014, but campaigns for the state House seat haven’t gotten much attention by the DFL in the past.
House DFL campaign operative Zach Rodvold said they are excited about candidate Thomas Trehus, a young local school board member who went to college at the University of Minnesota and decided to move back and live in the district. But Davids, who is serving his 12th nonconsecutive term in the House, said he’s out campaigning hard and feels good about his chances. “It looks like an act of desperation by them,” he said. “I think we’re in good shape.”
In the Senate, Democrats have also poured money into efforts to knock off Republican Senate Minority Leader David Hann in Eden Prairie’s District 48, hoping the combination of a strong DFL candidate and negative polling for Republican Donald Trump in the suburbs will help.

In Red Wing’s Senate District 21, meanwhile, it’s Republicans who see a pick up opportunity, and have launched a hard campaign against freshman DFL Sen. Matt Schmit. One mailer from Americans for Prosperity, a conservative outside group affiliated with Charles and David Koch, says Schmidt sided with Gov. Mark Dayton and supported the state’s problematic health insurance exchange. Both sides are also spending money in the area’s House District 21A, where Republican Rep. Tim Kelly is retiring, leaving an open seat that’s swung back and forth in national elections.
Several open seats in the Twin Cities suburbs have also attracted plenty of spending. Republicans want to pick up open seats in Minnetonka-Plymouth’s Senate District 44 and Minnetonka’s House District 48A, swing seats where Democratic retirements have made them more of a tossup.
Candidates try to break through
It’s hard for a candidate to compete with the money flooding into their own districts. Outside groups are on pace to spend more than $1 million in some of the most competitive legislative districts around the state, far more than any candidate can raise themselves.

In District 28B, Davids spotted an attack mailer in his district that said he voted to increase pay for legislators, which he did back in 1997. “They are over the top and they are silly,” he said. “That doesn’t play well out here. This is big city liberal special interest money trying to influence a rural election while totally disregarding the needs of the district.”
Dorholt is running his third campaign for the House since 2012, so he’s getting used to the intensity of spending. Two years ago, there were 72 mailers sent out in his district during the campaign, 12 of those in a single weekend alone. He had handfuls of mail thrown in his face, and his mail carrier yelled at him.
Dorholt can’t do anything about it, but he makes sure voters know he wants to work on campaign finance spending issues at the Legislature. In particular, he wants to pass the Disclose Act, which would ask voters if they want to disclose more outside spending, including so-called “dark money groups,” which don’t have to report unless they use the words “vote for” or “vote against” on a mailer or ad.
“Campaign finance reform is part of my platform, and I’m serious about it,” he said. “The outside spending just adds to the cynicism that is already so intense. That is the biggest frustration for people. They say, ‘I’m sick and tired of the ads so I’m not voting.’ For me, that sucks the most to hear.”