National Democratic group spends $50K to keep Minnesota House in November

A national group aimed at securing Democratic majorities in state legislatures on Wednesday announced it has invested $50,000 to keep Democrats in control of the Minnesota House, and it plans to spend more until November.

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams called Minnesota “one of our top strategic priorities of 2024,” in a statement. 

Democrats currently hold a 70-64 majority in the House, and Republicans are hustling to break up the DFL’s trifecta. Eight DFL House members have announced they don’t intend to run again for another term.

Although the state Senate is not on the ballot this November, the DFL will have to defend a key seat with the expected departure of state Sen. Kelly Morrison, DFL-Deephaven, who is the presumptive DFL nominee in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips in Congress. Morrison is a favorite in the general election, which means control of the state Senate — currently under DFL control 34-33 — could be on the line in a special election should Morrison win. 

The DLCC on Wednesday also said it’s made an initial investment of nearly $750,000 in battleground states, including Minnesota.

House GOP Minority Leader Lisa Demuth of Cold Spring is on the executive committee of the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, which is likely to respond in kind to national Democrats’ efforts here. 

National business and labor groups can also be expected to shower state House races with money, stuffing the mailboxes of Minnesotans in the 10-20 competitive districts with glossy mailers and their social media feeds with ads. 

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee also announced it’s invested thousands for state races in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina and New Hampshire.