The MInnesota State Senate has gone to the Republicans, just barely, and the GOP continues control of the House. Fortunately, Governor Dayton (D) is in for two more years.
Hillary won the state, but only by a percent and a half. It’s the same wave as in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, except Minnesota is just Democratic enough to keep it’s streak going (Democrats have won Minnesota electoral votes every year since Nixon won in 1972).
The rural/blue collar wave was nowhere more evident in the First District where Democrat Tim Walz (a supposedly safe incumbent in a very rural district bordering Iowa) won by just over ½ percent. Democrat Rick Nolan also won by just over ½ percent in the northern Eight District by running populist anti-big business ads in the last week. The other two heavily fought Congressional races went to Republicans. Bland GOP incumbent Erik Paulson won, which was expected, but the margin was larger than expected.
Former conservative radio host Jason Lewis also won over executive Angie Craig.
The tactic of running ads tying Congressional candidates to Trump worked just fine FOR THE GOP. Jason Lewis’s margin was the same as Trump’s in that district. He had lots of ads run against him for things he had said on his radio show, but the voters overlooked both his and Trump’s past behavior.