2018 Election Cycle

The DFL swept all constitutional offices for a party record third consecutive cycle with all but one of these elections for an open seat. Congressman Tim Walz and state Representative Peggy Flanagan held the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor for the party with Secretary of State Steve Simon reelected to a second term, Ramsey math teacher Julie Blaha elected Auditor, and Congressman Keith Ellison elected Attorney General. This was the first cycle in Minnesota history in which Democrats won back-to-back gubernatorial elections without an incumbent.

Minnesota’s U.S. House delegation witnessed its biggest shake-up in decades with four seats switching partisan hands: Republican Jim Hagedorn flipped Walz’s open 1st CD, DFLer Angie Craig unseated freshman Jason Lewis in the 2nd CD, Dean Phillips defeated five-term Republican Erik Paulsen in the 3rd CD, and Republican Pete Stauber flipped Rick Nolan’s open 8th CD.

For the fourth time in five cycles there was a change in partisan control of the state House with the DFL netting 18 seats and gaining a 75-59 majority over the GOP.

All four incumbents won their respective elections for the Supreme Court: Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea, Associate Justice Barry Anderson, and appointed Associate Justices Margaret Chutich and Anne McKeig.