Minnesota state legislative special elections, 2020
2021 →
← 2019
|
Special Elections |
|
Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii Illinois • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota Mississippi • New Hampshire • New Jersey New York • Oklahoma • Oregon Pennsylvania • Rhode Island South Carolina • Texas Virginia • Washington |
|
Other 2020 election coverage |
State legislative elections Gubernatorial elections • Ballot measures |
In 2020, two special elections were called to fill vacant seats in the Minnesota State Legislature. Click here to read more about the special elections.
House special elections called:
- District 30A: February 4
- District 60A: February 4
How vacancies are filled in Minnesota
Vacancies in the Minnesota State Legislature are filled through election. If there are more than 150 days before the next state general election, and the legislature will not be in session before the results are canvassed, then any vacancy is filled at the next state general election.[1][2]
If the vacancy happens during the legislative session, the governor has five days to issue a writ calling for a special election. The election must take place no more than 35 days after the issuance of the writ. If the legislature is out of session and there are fewer than 150 days before the next state general election, the governor must call for a special election so the winner of the election can take office when the legislature reconvenes.[2][3]
See sources: Minnesota Cons. Art. 4, § 4 and Minnesota Stat. § 204D.19
About the legislature
The Minnesota State Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the Minnesota House of Representatives, with 100 members, and the Minnesota State Senate, with 35 members. The boxes below show the partisan composition of the state House before and after the November 2018 general election and the state Senate before and after the November 2016 general election. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).
Minnesota State Senate | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
Democratic Party | 38 | 33 | |
Republican Party | 28 | 34 | |
Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 67 | 67 |
Minnesota House of Representatives | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
Democratic Party | 56 | 75 | |
Republican Party | 77 | 59 | |
Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 134 | 134 |
Special elections
Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:
February 4, 2020
Minnesota House of Representatives District 30A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A special election for District 30A of the Minnesota House of Representatives took place on February 4, 2020. A primary election was held on January 14, 2020. The filing deadline for candidates was December 10, 2019. The seat became vacant on December 6, 2019, after Nick Zerwas (R) resigned his seat due to medical reasons.[4] General electionSpecial general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 30APaul Novotny defeated Chad Hobot in the special general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 30A on February 4, 2020.
Democratic primary electionSpecial Democratic primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 30AChad Hobot advanced from the special Democratic primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 30A on January 14, 2020.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidatesRepublican primary electionSpecial Republican primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 30APaul Novotny defeated Kathy Ziebarth in the special Republican primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 30A on January 14, 2020.
|
Minnesota House of Representatives District 60A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A special election for District 60A of the Minnesota House of Representatives took place on February 4, 2020. A primary election was held on January 21, 2020. The filing deadline for candidates was December 10, 2019. The seat became vacant on November 16, 2019, after Diane Loeffler (D) died.[5] General electionSpecial general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 60ASydney Jordan defeated Martin Super in the special general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 60A on February 4, 2020.
Democratic primary electionSpecial Democratic primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 60AThe following candidates ran in the special Democratic primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 60A on January 21, 2020.
Legal Marijuana Now Party primary electionSpecial Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 60AMartin Super advanced from the special Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 60A on January 21, 2020.
|
Historical data
There were 723 state legislative special elections that took place from 2010 to 2019. Minnesota held 19 special elections during the same time period; nearly two per year on average. The largest number of special elections in Minnesota took place in 2011 when four special elections were held.
The table below details how many state legislative special elections were held in a state in a given year.
Special elections throughout the country
In 2020, 55 state legislative special elections were held in 26 states. Four special elections were canceled in New York due to the coronavirus pandemic. Between 2011 and 2019, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.
Breakdown of 2020 special elections
In 2020, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:
- 23 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
- 5 due to a resignation related to criminal charges[6]
- 18 due to retirement
- 13 due to the death of the incumbent
Impact of special elections on partisan composition
The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:
- 21 Democratic seats
- 38 Republican seats
The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2020. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections. In elections between 2011 and 2019, either the Democratic Party or Republican Party saw an average net gain of four seats across the country. Between 2018 and 2019, Democrats had a net gain of six seats.
Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.
Partisan Change from Special Elections (2020) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of Special Election | After Special Election | |
Democratic Party | 21 | 27 | |
Republican Party | 38 | 32 | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 59 | 59 |
Flipped seats
In 2020, eight seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.
Seats flipped from D to R
- Kentucky House of Representatives District 99 (February 25)
Seats flipped from R to D
- New Hampshire House of Representatives Merrimack 24 District (March 10)
- Massachusetts State Senate Second Hampden & Hampshire District (May 19)
- Massachusetts State Senate Plymouth & Barnstable District (May 19)
- Massachusetts House of Representatives Third Bristol District (June 2)
- Kentucky State Senate District 26 (June 23)
- South Carolina House of Representatives District 115 (August 11)
- Oregon State Senate District 10 (November 3)
See also
- State legislative special elections, 2020
- State legislative special elections, 2019
- State legislative special elections, 2018
- State legislative special elections, 2017
- State legislative special elections, 2016
- Minnesota State Legislature
Footnotes
- ↑ Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, "Constitution of the State of Minnesota," accessed February 12, 2021 (Article 4, Section 4)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, "2020 Minnesota Statutes," accessed February 12, 2021 (Statute 204D.19 (1)-(3))
- ↑ Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, "2020 Minnesota Statutes," accessed February 12, 2021 (Statute 204B.13)
- ↑ KNSI, "GOVERNOR SETS SPECIAL ELECTION FOR ZERWAS' SEAT," November 27, 2019
- ↑ Star Tribune, "Minnesota DFL Rep. Diane Loeffler dies of cancer at 66," November 17, 2019
- ↑ Arkansas State Rep. Mickey Gates (R) was expelled by a vote of the House membership.
![]() |
State of Minnesota St. Paul (capital) |
---|---|
Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |