Minnesota DFL, Progressive Allies Vastly Outspent Republicans But Lost Ground In The Legislature

By Ricardo Lopez, the Minnesota Reformer

February 2, 2021

Minnesota Democrats failed to reclaim a majority in the Minnesota Senate and lost ground in the House, despite a massively outspending Republicans, according to newly published campaign finance reports.

The state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Senate DFL caucus and House DFL caucus spent a combined $25 million last year while the Minnesota Republican Party and Republicans in the House and Senate spent $7 million, according to year-end reports.

The DFL’s legislative struggles came despite Joe Biden beating President Donald Trump by more than 7 points here, despite the Trump campaign’s targeting the state and spending national party resources here. U.S Sen. Tina Smith also won with a relatively comfortable margin.

The DFL, however, failed to win back a majority in the Senate, managing to flip fewer seats than required: they included seats in Burnsville and St. Cloud and winning a western suburban seat vacated by a GOP state senator. The House DFL, meanwhile, lost a handful of seats and began the year with a smaller majority.

Outside groups similarly spent heavily in key Senate races, spending upwards of $1 million in districts where Republican incumbents like Sen. Warren Limmer of Maple Grove and Sens. Carla Nelson and David Senjem of Rochester held on to their seats.

“Money doesn’t always lead to victory,” tweeted Bill Walsh, the former communications director for Senate Republicans who now works for the Center of the American Experiment.

The DFL continued to struggle in greater Minnesota, while failing to pick up enough seats in the suburbs to claim a Senate majority.

Minnesota remains the only state in the country to have a divided Legislature.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..