Tuesday special election primaries narrow field for two Minnesota House seats, with control of chamber at stake

ST. PAUL and WOODBURY, Minn. Voters in parts of St. Paul and the east metro area went to the polls Tuesday, Dec. 16, for special primary elections that will determine the Democratic-Farmer-Labor nominees for two vacant seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives. The contests will set the stage for special general elections on Jan. 27, 2026, races that will play a decisive role in whether the House enters the new legislative session tied or under single party control.

The vacancies stem from the November 2025 general election, which reshaped the Legislature as two incumbent DFL lawmakers left the House after winning higher office. With the Minnesota Legislature scheduled to convene its 2026 session on Feb. 17, the outcome of these January contests is expected to influence leadership structure, committee control, and the trajectory of major legislation in the coming year.

Two districts, two different dynamics

House District 64A, St. Paul

The seat in District 64A became vacant after Rep. Kaohly Her resigned following her election as mayor of St. Paul. The district is considered a DFL stronghold, making the party’s primary the central contest.

Six candidates sought the DFL nomination:

• Meg Luger-Nikolai, a labor lawyer who secured the official DFL party endorsement
• Beth Fraser, a legislative staffer and former deputy secretary of state
• John Zwier, an attorney with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office
• Lois Quam, a former health care executive who served in the Clinton and Obama administrations
• Matt Hill, a small business owner and local public servant
• Dan McGrath, a longtime community organizer

The DFL primary winner will advance to the Jan. 27 special election, where they are set to face Dan Walsh, an information technology professional who is running unopposed for the Republican nomination.

House District 47A, Woodbury and Maplewood

District 47A opened after Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger resigned her House seat upon winning a special election to the Minnesota Senate. Three candidates competed in the DFL primary:

• Shelley Buck, former president of the Prairie Island Indian Community Tribal Council and the DFL endorsed candidate
• David Azcona, a community advocate and local delegate
• Juli Servatius, a local resident and advocate

No Republican candidate filed for the seat, meaning the winner of Tuesday’s DFL primary is effectively positioned to become the next representative for the district when the special election is certified.

Why the races matter

The Minnesota House is poised on a political knife edge. Once the two vacancies are filled, the chamber is projected to stand at a 67 to 67 split between Democrats and Republicans if the DFL retains both seats. Such an outcome would again require a rare power sharing arrangement, with evenly divided committees and negotiated leadership roles.

Beyond the immediate balance of power, the races also cap a year of unusual turnover at the Capitol. Minnesota held six special legislative elections in 2025, tying a modern record last set in 1994. The year was marked by resignations, career changes, and tragedy, including the assassination of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman in June, an event that cast a long shadow over state politics.

Key dates for voters

• Special primary: Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Special general election: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026

As ballots are counted and nominees emerge, attention will quickly shift to January, when voters in Districts 64A and 47A will help determine not only their representation but also the balance of power at the Minnesota Capitol heading into the 2026 legislative session.

MinneapoliMedia