ST. PAUL, Minn. — Three unexpected vacancies in the Minnesota Legislature may decide which party controls lawmaking in the state Legislature. In the 2025 session, which ended in May, Democrats controlled the Senate 34-32. Republicans controlled the House 67-66, although a power-sharing agreement evened out the imbalance a bit. Since then these events have occurred:
> Melissa Hortman, the House Democratic caucus leader, was assassinated at her Brooklyn Center home.
> Nicole Mitchell, a Democratic senator from Woodbury, resigned after a felony burglary conviction.
> Bruce Anderson, a Republican senator from Buffalo, died unexpectedly.
Governor Tim Walz has scheduled special elections to fill the vacancies. If Republicans manage a sweep of the special elections, they would control both chambers. Already it has been a busy year for special elections:
> Doron Clark, a Democrat from Minneapolis, was elected to the seat held by Senate majority leader Kari Dziedzic, a Democrat, who died of cancer.
> Keri Heintzeman, a Republican from Nisswa, was elected to replace Senator Justin Eichorn, a Republican, after his arrest in a sex solicitation case.
> David Gottfried, a Democrat from Shoreview, was elected after a House election was nullified because of a residency challenge.
So many special legislative elections in a single year are rare. The record was six in 1994. This year ties the record.