Minnesota 2010 Election Results

Minnesota held its general election on November 2, 2010, deciding 201 legislative seats and 5 statewide offices led by the governorship. Control shifted: the Senate moved from a 46-21 Democratic majority to a 37-30 Republican majority; the House moved from a 87-47 Democratic majority to a 72-62 Republican majority.

Highlights

• Republicans took both chambers, winning the Senate for the first time since partisan elections returned in 1974, while Democrats won the open governorship. Minnesota stayed divided, but the governorship and the Legislature each switched parties.
• Mark Dayton (D) beat Tom Emmer (R) by about 8,800 votes, under half a point, to become the first Democrat elected governor since 1986. Tom Horner (I) drew about 12%. The margin triggered an automatic recount, and Emmer conceded in December after the state Supreme Court ruled he lacked standing to demand a signature count.
• The new majorities chose Amy Koch (R) as the Senate's first female majority leader and Kurt Zellers (R) as House Speaker. Split control then shaped the next round of maps. In May 2011, Dayton vetoed the Republican-drawn legislative and congressional plans, saying they unfairly targeted Democratic incumbents, which left the lines for a court to draw.
• All 41 legislative seats that changed party went Republican, and all 34 incumbents who lost were Democrats. They included committee chairs Bernie Lieder (D), Loren Solberg (D), and Leo Foley (D). In Senate District 51, Pam Wolf (R) unseated Don Betzold (D), an 18-year senator. Three House flips went to recounts that confirmed the Republican wins:
  • King Banaian (R) beat Carol Lewis (D) by 13 votes for the open House District 15B.
  • Kelby Woodard (R) unseated David Bly (D) by 37 votes in House District 25B.
  • Rich Murray (R) unseated Robin Brown (D) by 57 votes in House District 27A.
• Democratic incumbents held the other three statewide offices. Lori Swanson (D) won re-election as attorney general by about 12 points, Mark Ritchie (D) held secretary of state by about 3.5 points, and Rebecca Otto (D) kept the auditor's office by about a point over Patricia Anderson (R).

Legislature

• House (134 seats): 87 D, 47 R before the election, 62 D, 72 R after; control moved from Democrats to Republicans.
• Senate (67 seats): 46 D, 21 R before the election, 30 D, 37 R after; control moved from Democrats to Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races