ST. PAUL, Minn. – The state Democratic chair, Ken Martin, is on a victory lap after the Tuesday election. “The Minnesota DFL had its most historic win in our party’s 78-year history, Martin said. The party now controls both the executive and legislative branches of state government but also kept any Congressional seats from being flipped to Republicans, he noted..\ Martin attributed Republican setbacks to “sleazy attack ads, smears and misinformation.”
Martin’s 2022 bragging points
> Maintaining a streak of winning every statewide contest since 2006 – eight election cycles in a row.
> Winning the governor’s office for a fourth consecutive term, which has never happened in the 164-year history of the state.
> Taking control of the governorship and both houses of the Legislature – a “trifecta” he called it — for only the second time in 31 years. The GOP has not had a trifecta in 53 years, he noted.
> Sending the first transgender person to the state legislature in Minnesota history with the election of Leigh Finke of north St. Paul.
> Flipping four outstate legislative seats from Red to Blue and also six suburban legislative seats.
> Adding diversity to the Legislature with 11 new members on the People of Color and Indigenous Peoples Caucus.
> Electing pro-choice majorities in both of Senate and House Democratic caucuses.
Martin. Started in politics in 1990 as an intern for U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone’s campaign and later interned in Wellstone’ office. In 1992 he organized college campuses throughout the South for the Clinton-Gore Campaign.He was field director for the Kansas Democratic party. Became Minnesota state Democratic chair in 2011 at age 37.