Ewald at the Capitol

November 9, 2016

ewald at the capitol

Ewald Government Relations Team tion scheduled to take place in February of David Ewald The 2016 Election Recap 651-290-6276 2017 to replace outgoing Rep. Bob Barrett The 2016 election season has come to [email protected] (R-Taylors Falls). The House is up for election a close. While there will be nationwide Nick de Julio implications from what happened last night, every two years, so all 134 members will be 651-290-6286 this update will focus on state level results on the ballot in 2018. [email protected] here in Minnesota. For the first time since View the complete House of Representatives Valerie Dosland 2004, there was no statewide race anchoring 651-265-7857 election results. [email protected] the top of the ballot —no governor, United States senator or constitutional officer up for State Senate Patrick Lobejko 651-290-7473 election. With the conclusion of the 2016 Before the election, Democrats controlled [email protected] election, state government is now decided for the State Senate with a majority of 39 seats Jess Myers the next two years. Gov. Mark Dayton will to 28 for the Republicans. The Senate Repub- 651-290-7465 finish out the last two years of his term before licans needed six seats to take control of the [email protected] Minnesotans decide on a new governor and chamber — and they picked up exactly that Troy Olsen vote on all 134 members of the House of number. The Senate will now be controlled 651-288-3424 [email protected] Representatives in 2018. by Republicans with a majority of 34 to 33. The Senate will be up for election in 2020, Becca Pryse 651-265-7858 The Minnesota Legislature meaning the Senate Republicans will main- State House [email protected] tain a narrow majority for the next four years. All 201 legislative seats were up for election Owen Wirth 651-288-3438 this year, with 134 representative districts View the complete State Senate election [email protected] and 67 senate districts deciding their repre- results. sentation at the capitol in St. Paul. Before the election, Republicans controlled the House Recounts? of Representatives by a margin of 73 to 61; The state will likely see at least one recount they improved that margin last night by pick- of a legislative district. State law requires a ing up four more seats to put the Republican recount in legislative races if the difference is majority at 77 members to 57 Democrats. below one-half of one-percent. More infor- The 2017 session will start with only 133 mation will be revealed on those races over members of the House due to a special elec- the next few days.

They said it: “To me, the election is like the Super Bowl and World Series combined.” – Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon

Directory of Minnesota House of Representatives committee structure for the biennium, followed by appoint- A directory of the 2017-2018 House of Representatives is ex- ing chairs to each committee. Once the committees have pected to be available on the House website at www.house. been established, both the Republicans and Democrats will mn late on the afternoon of Nov. 9 from the House Public determine which of their members will serve as their party’s Information Office. Hard copies should be available late in representatives. the day on Nov. 10 in room 175 State Office Building. The 2016 Election Directory will feature some biographical and Constitutional Amendment and Supreme contact information for the members-elect. Court Two other issues on every ballot across the state were a con- What’s Next? stitutional amendment to appoint a citizen-led commission Leadership Elections to decide legislator pay and the election of one of Minne- Over the next few days or weeks, the Democratic and Re- sota’s Supreme Court Justices. publican parties will appoint their leadership for the upcom- Almost 3 million Minnesotans voted on a measure that ing biennium. Due to Senate Minority Leader David Hann would amend the Minnesota Constitution to remove leg- (R-Eden Prairie) losing his reelection bid, the Senate Repub- islators’ ability to control their own pay, creating a private licans will decide on a member of their caucus to serve as citizen council that would decide their salaries. The measure the Senate Majority Leader, while Speaker of the House Kurt passed with 76 percent of the vote, meaning the constitution Daudt (R-Crown) will almost certainly retain his position in will be amended. the House. Democrats in the House and Senate will follow suit when they decide their minority leaders. Currently Sen. Last year, Natalie Hudson was appointed as an interim Justice Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) is the Majority Leader in the Sen- to the State Supreme Court when Justice Alan Page reached ate and Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis) is the Minor- the state’s mandatory retirement age and stepped down from ity Leader in the House. Both members won reelection last the bench. She was elected to continue to serve on the court night. While they currently hold those leadership positions for the next six years, receiving 58 percent of the vote. in their respective caucuses, the leadership for 2017 is still to be determined.

Committee Structure Before the start of the next session on Tuesday, January 3, 2017, House and Senate Republicans will decide on the