Democrats won a Minnesota state House special election, tying the chamber with 67 seats for each party, ending a power struggle. Democrat David Gottfried defeated Republican Paul Wikstrom, preventing Republicans from countering Democratic priorities in government. The special election was held after a court ruled the previous Democrat winner did not meet residency requirements. Democrats boycotted the chamber for three weeks to prevent Republicans from taking control, resulting in a power-sharing arrangement. Under the deal, Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth will be speaker for two years, and committees will have equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans. House Republicans agreed not to remove Democratic Rep. Brad Tabke, whose win was called into question due to discarded absentee ballots. The win maintains the balance of power between Democrats, who hold the governorship and Senate majority, and Republicans, preventing one-sided decision-making in Minnesota. This special election is the latest episode in a political drama that saw a walkout by Democrats, a court ruling keeping a seat empty, and a power struggle involving temporary Republican control of the chamber. Democrats’ victory in the special election kept the power-sharing arrangement in place, ensuring equal representation in the state House and avoiding actions to remove Democrats from their seats.
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