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MN House 40B special election: What's at stake
A special election for Minnesota House District 40B is on Tuesday, with control of the House of Representatives at stake. FOX 9's Bill Keller shares the details.
ROSEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A special election for District 40B, which covers parts of Roseville and Shoreview, has been won by DFL candidate David Gottfried, and its result now shifts the balance of power in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Roseville, Shoreview District 40B results
What we know:
During Tuesday’s special election, Republican candidate Paul Wikstrom was defeated by DFL candidate, David Gottfried, by a 70.15% to 29.75% margin, according to preliminary results provided by the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office. Results will be officially certified later in the month.
District 40B is in Ramsey County and covers most of Roseville and Shoreview, and has historically been DFL-won.
What they're saying:
Gottfried released the following statement on his victory:
"This victory is for Roseville, Shoreview, and every constituent who hasn’t been represented for weeks. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be headed to Saint Paul as soon as possible to get to work for this district and Minnesota.
"Our team’s efforts during the many phases of this campaign have been astounding. I’m so proud of the work of everyone who knocked doors, made phone calls, sent postcards, chipped in a few bucks, and did everything they could to make sure we won tonight.
"We never lost sight of what’s at stake. The President is sowing chaos that is increasing the price of basic needs like food, energy, and healthcare. It’s never been more urgent that we work together in Saint Paul to shield Minnesotans from the chaos, lower the cost of prescription drugs, and make a smart plan to protect our shared futures in Minnesota."
In response to the victory, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin released the following statement:
"As a proud Minnesotan, I’m honored to congratulate David Gottfried on his crucial special election victory. Minnesota is a shining example of what can happen under Democratic leadership: providing free breakfast and lunch for K-12 students, investing in mental health services, strengthening worker protections, establishing paid family and medical leave, and enshrining protections for reproductive freedom into law."
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Judge rules MN-40B winner doesn't live in district
Republican Paul Wikstrom challenged the election results of Minnesota House District 40B, and was successful after a judge's ruling. Wikstrom argued that his DFL opponent, Curtis Johnson did not actually live in District 40B.
Vacated District 40B seat
The backstory:
A judge ruled last December that the initial winner of District 40B, Curtis Johnson, did not meet residency requirements.
The ruling came after Wikstrom filed a lawsuit that argued Johnson's primary residence wasn't in the district, and, according to state statute, was in violation of election residency requirements. Minnesota law says that at the time of the general election, a candidate must have lived in the state for one year and lived in the district for six months.
The lawsuit said that Johnson signed an apartment lease at Rosedale Estates in Roseville, then registered in May to be in the state primary.
While campaigning, Wikstrom encountered a former Roseville city council member who made him aware that his opponent had recently leased a studio apartment in the district. In August, Wikstrom’s campaign team then started monitoring when Johnson was coming and going from his Little Canada home to his Roseville apartment.
Johnson ultimately decided not to appeal the judge's decision, and resigned from his House seat, leaving the House imbalanced.
His decision not to appeal the court's decision broke a 67-67 tie, leaving the GOP with a 67-66 majority earlier in the session until results have been certified.
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DFL, GOP reach deal to end MN House standoff
The standoff at the Minnesota House could soon be over as Democrats and Republicans have reached a power-sharing agreement.
Minnesota House power-sharing agreement
Dig deeper:
Until the election in 40B could be decided, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were at a stand-off over how to resume business.
After weeks of not showing up to deny a GOP quorum, and stall business from moving forward, GOP and DFL house leaders held back-to-back press conferences in early February following the announcement that a power-sharing agreement had been reached.
As part of the agreement, if the House returns to a 67-67 tie after the 40B special election, committees will be co-chaired by both parties, with an equal number of lawmakers on each committee. At that point, a bipartisan vote will be required to advance a bill.
Under the agreement, a Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee was also created, and will consist of five GOP members and three DLF members appointed by their party.