Minnesota 2026 election: Democrats sweep statewide offices, Klobuchar elected governor, school funding amendment passes

Polls closed across Minnesota at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and within hours the shape of the night was clear: Democrats swept the statewide offices on the ballot, flipped the open U.S. Senate seat, and came within a single seat of taking outright control of the deadlocked Minnesota House. FOX 9 reported the results as they came in from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, with race calls confirmed by The Associated Press, whose Decision Team declares winners once trailing candidates no longer have a path to victory.

This was the first open governor’s race in Minnesota since 2018, after Gov. Tim Walz announced he would not seek a third term, and voters responded by electing Amy Klobuchar governor — the first woman in the state’s history elected to the position. Democrats prevailed in the races for attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor. The result gives the DFL a clean sweep of every statewide constitutional office contested Tuesday.

A Democratic wave at the top of the ticket

Attorney General Keith Ellison won a third term with nearly 55% of the vote against Republican Ron Schutz with 94% of votes counted, and Secretary of State Steve Simon earned a fourth term, taking 54.9% to Republican Tad Jude’s 41.7% with 96% counted. Simon, a DFLer first elected in 2015, will keep leading the office that oversees the state’s elections and business registrations. Democrat Zack Filipovich defeated Republican Dr. Scott Jensen in the race for state auditor.

JUST IN: Democrat Amy Klobuchar has won the race for governor of Minnesota, defeating Republican Lisa Demuth. Congratulations, Governor-elect Klobuchar! pic.twitter.com/KNXSW0hDca

— https://x.com/TheDemocrats/status/2117848822906773974

Congress mostly stays put, with one DFL pickup in the suburbs

Republicans held most of Minnesota’s eight U.S. House seats, but the night was not a clean sweep. In the Second Congressional District, Matt Little won the seat for the DFL after Rep. Angie Craig chose not to seek reelection, covering Dakota, Le Sueur and Scott counties and parts of Rice and Washington counties. Incumbent Kelly Morrison won reelection in the Third District.

Voters approve a school funding boost without a tax hike

Beyond candidates, Minnesotans approved a constitutional amendment that raises school funding without raising individual income or property taxes. The ballot question asked:

“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to increase the funding going to all school districts from the permanent school fund, which is a fund that supports school districts without raising individual income or property taxes, effective July 1, 2027?”

A yes vote raises the payout rate to 4.5% of the fund’s three-year rolling average value, up from the current 2.5% distributed to districts.

Minnesota 2026 election: Democrats sweep statewide offices, Klobuchar elected governor, school funding amendment passes — Photo: apnews.com

The Legislature remains a coin flip

All 134 Minnesota House seats were on the ballot, and the chamber was deadlocked at 67 Republicans and 67 DFLers heading into the night — either party needed just one seat to reach 68 and take control. More than 20 representatives are not returning, including Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who ran for governor. In the Senate, all 67 seats were contested for four-year terms, with the DFL holding a 34-33 majority; Republicans needed one pickup to flip the chamber, while at least 14 senators are not returning. In Hennepin County, Cedrick Frazier won the open county attorney race after his opponent conceded, following Mary Moriarty’s decision not to seek reelection.

Turnout and late-counting could still shift individual legislative races, but the statewide picture is set: Minnesota enters 2027 with a new governor, a new senator, and a school funding formula locked into the constitution at a higher payout.