WASHINGTON (AP) — Two special elections Tuesday in state legislative districts in the heavily Democratic Twin Cities area will decide control of the Minnesota House for the third time in less than a year.
Republicans hold a 67-65 advantage in the House after two Democratic representatives were elected to other offices in November. For much of last year, the chamber operated under a power-sharing agreement between the two parties.
The game comes just days after a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man in Minneapolis, sparking protests and renewed calls for federal immigration officials to leave the state. In early January, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a Minneapolis woman as part of a federal immigration crackdown.
In District 47A, Democrat Shelley Buck is the only candidate on the ballot, although voters have the option of voting for a write-in candidate. Buck is a former environmental nonprofit executive and former president of the Prairie Island Tribal Council.
The district is located east of São Paulo. It is located primarily within Washington County but includes part of Ramsey County. In 2024, Democratic state Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris each won District 47A with about 61% of the vote. Hemmingsen-Jaeger won a 2025 special election for state Senate.
The nominees for District 64A are Democrat Meg Rueger-Nicolas and Republican Dan Walsh. Luger-Nicola is a labor attorney who represents teachers unions across the state. Walsh runs a real estate management company and works in cybersecurity and technology sales. He is the Republican nominee for the seat in 2022 and 2024.
The district is entirely within Ramsey County and extends most of the distance between St. Paul and Minneapolis. In 2024, Democratic state Reps. Kaohly Her and Harris each won the district with more than 83% of the vote. Hull was elected mayor of Sao Paulo in 2025.
Because Buck is the only candidate on the District 47A ballot, the AP will consider the race uncontested and will call the race immediately after polls close unless there is any indication of an organized campaign for another candidate.
In District 64A, Walsh needs much more than the roughly 15% and 17% of the vote he received in the 2022 and 2024 races, respectively. With nearly all ballots expected to be released in only one or two batches, a race to the bottom is likely as soon as signs of a landslide emerge.
The Associated Press does not make predictions and will declare a winner only when it determines that there are no circumstances that would allow the trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not yet been called, the AP will continue to report on any newsworthy developments, such as concessions or declarations of victory by candidates. Along the way, the AP will make it clear that a winner has not yet been announced and explain why.
Minnesota’s state legislative races will not be subject to an automatic recount. If the difference is less than 0.5% of the total votes cast, the losing candidate can request a publicly funded recount. The AP can declare the winner of a recount-eligible race if it determines the lead is too large to warrant a recount or a legal challenge to change the outcome.
Here are some key facts about the election and the data points the AP Decision Desk will monitor as the votes are counted:
When does voting end?
8pm local time, which is 9pm Eastern time.
What’s on the ballot?
The Associated Press will provide voting results and declare winners for Minnesota House Districts 47A and 64A special elections.
Who has the right to vote?
The special election is open to voters in state House Districts 47A and 64A. Minnesota allows voters to register at polling places on Election Day.
What does turnout and early voting look like?
As of June 1, 2025, House Districts 47A and 64A each had nearly 28,000 registered voters.
In District 47A, approximately 23,000 voters will cast ballots in the 2024 general election and approximately 19,000 voters will cast ballots in 2022. About half of the votes cast in 2024 will be cast before Election Day, compared with about 31% in the 2022 midterm elections.
In District 64A, nearly 25,000 voters cast ballots in 2024 and more than 21,000 voters cast ballots in 2022. About 41% of votes cast in 2024 will be cast before Election Day, compared with about 27% in the 2022 midterm elections.
As of Thursday night, nearly 300 ballots had been cast in District 47A and about 400 in District 64A.
How long does it usually take to count votes?
In the 2022 election, The Associated Press first reported District 47A results at 10:49 p.m. ET and District 64A results at 11:12 p.m. The last vote update of the night in District 47A was at 11:50 pm ET, and the last vote update in District 64A was at 11:39 pm ET. The votes in both updates exceeded 99% of the total votes.
In the 2024 election, the Associated Press first reported results for Districts 47A and 64A at 1:09 a.m. ET. The counting of votes in both precincts ended at 2:29 a.m. Eastern time that night, with the total number of votes counted exceeding 99%.
When will early and absentee voting be released?
In previous elections in Ramsey and Washington counties, absentee voting results were released overnight along with in-person Election Day voting.
