Minnesota's 2025 Election Day Could Shift State Senate Control

On Minnesota's 2025 Election Day, polls opened at 7 AM for key municipal races and referendums across the state. Two Senate districts could shift party control in the closely divided chamber, where Democrats currently hold a 33-32 majority. A Republican win in both districts would give them control, aligning with the evenly split Minnesota House. In Wright County, Republican Michael Holmstrom Jr. and DFL candidate Louis McNutt are competing for an open state Senate seat, which has recently favored GOP candidates. The vacancy was created by the death of GOP Sen. Bruce Anderson. In Senate District 47, covering Woodbury and part of Maplewood, DFL state Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger and Republican Dwight Dorau are running for a seat vacated after the conviction of former DFL Sen. Nicole. Voters in Minneapolis and St. Paul will use ranked choice voting to elect their mayors, with 15 candidates in Minneapolis and 5 in St. Paul. Incumbent mayors Jacob Frey and Melvin Carter are both seeking rare third terms. In Duluth, the Right to Repair ballot measure would allow tenants to pay for minor repairs and deduct the cost from their rent if landlords do not address the issue within two weeks, with the deduction capped at $500 or half a month's rent.