Results in key Minnesota House and Senate races

Even as Minnesotans focus on the national election that will feature Gov. Tim Walz, a handful of legislative races will determine control of state government and the big decisions coming out of the state Capitol next year: From taxes to education funding, sports betting to housing. 

(See the Reformer’s story on the big races to watch.) 

Tuesday’s primary set the table for November. Here are results from some key races. 

61A: Katie Jones, DFL

Katie Jones, a policy analyst and lobbyist for the Center for Energy and Environment, won the DFL primary race to represent parts of downtown Minneapolis and the neighborhoods of Uptown, Loring Park, Bryn Mawr, Lowry Hill, East Isles and Elliot Park, according to preliminary results. She is likely to win the general election in November in the deep blue district.

The seat was vacated by longtime DFL Rep. Frank Hornstein, who recently endorsed Jones. 

Jones beat out Will Stancil, a University of Minnesota legal researcher, and legislative aide Isabel Rolfes. Local Democrats did not endorse a candidate at the party’s convention earlier this year.

Stancil’s large following on the social media platform X drew money, volunteers and Nazi trolls into the race.

Shortly after Hornstein announced his retirement, Jones started getting harassed on Twitter. Nazis pretended to be Stancil supporters and attacked Jones and Rolfes in an attempt to associate Stancil with Nazism and white supremacy.

26A: Sarah Kruger, DFL

Sarah Kruger, chief of staff at FairVote Minnesota and a former DFL political operative, won the DFL primary in a Winona-area district that Republicans hope to flip in November. 

Kruger beat out Winona County Board Member Dwayne Voegeli in the primary. Neither candidate had earned enough support at the local DFL convention to secure an endorsement. 

The general election will determine who will replace Rep. Gene Pelowski, one of the longest-serving representatives in Minnesota history and a leader on the House Higher Education Finance and Policy committee.

A Republican challenger, Stephen Doerr, earned 45% of the district’s vote in 2022 — the closest any challenger came to beating Pelowski since his first general election in 1986 — with little investment and no endorsement from the GOP House caucus. 

Republican Winona City Council Member Aaron Repinski, who owns a tour boat company, handily beat out Doerr in Tuesday’s primary, according to preliminary results. 

41A: Wayne Johnson, Republican

Republican Wayne Johnson, a local business owner, beat out GOP-endorsed candidate Grayson McNew to represent Afton, Lake Elmo and Cottage Grove.

Johnson was a Washington County commissioner and Cottage Grove city councilman.

The district voted for Democratic Gov. Tim Walz in 2022 while also electing a Republican, Mark Wiens, to represent the area in the Minnesota House. 

Wiens decided not to run for re-election, leaving the seat open. DFL candidate Lucia Wroblewski, a retired St. Paul police officer, ran unopposed in the primary and will face Johnson in the general election this November.

28A: Jimmy Gordon, Republican

Isanti Mayor Jimmy Gordon ousted Rep. Brian Johnson in a heavily Republican district including North Branch, Cambridge and Isanti.

Gordon has a long history of tax delinquency, including a $38,994 federal tax lien filed by the Internal Revenue Service that has not been released, the Reformer reported in July. 

Gordon told the Reformer he paid off the lien, contradicting the records. The IRS cannot legally disclose the specifics surrounding the release of a person’s tax debt.

Johnson is the Republican lead on the Housing Finance and Policy committee.

District 38A: Huldah Hiltsley, DFL

Huldah Hiltsley, a data security manager and the daughter of Kenyan immigrants, narrowly defeated Wynfred Russell to earn the DFL nomination in a district including Brooklyn Park and Osseo, according to preliminary results. 

Russell is a Brooklyn Park City Council member and a nonprofit executive. Neither candidate earned the DFL endorsement. 

The safe Democratic seat was vacated by DFL Rep. Michael Nelson, who chairs the Labor and Industry Finance and Policy committee and announced his retirement earlier this year. 

Business analyst and software developer Brad Olson handily won the Republican nomination.

SD 45: Ann Johnson Stewart, DFL

Former state Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart won the DFL primary in Senate District 45, which includes Wayzata, Excelsior and Mound, according to preliminary results. 

The seat was vacated by DFL state Sen. Kelly Morrison, who resigned to run for Congress. 

The special Senate election to replace Morrison will determine control of the upper chamber, which is currently deadlocked at 33-33. 

The remainder of the Senate is not on the ballot. 

Kathleen Fowke ran unopposed for the Republican nomination. Morrison beat Fowke by around 13 percentage points in 2022.