The Open U.S. Senate Seat: Flanagan vs. Tafoya, Plus All 201 Legislative Seats
Peggy Flanagan and Michele Tafoya are competing for the Senate seat Tina Smith is leaving, while all 201 Minnesota legislative seats are also on the ballot.
Minnesota rarely gets a ballot as consequential as this one. Alongside an open race for governor, voters will fill an open United States Senate seat and every one of the state's 201 legislative seats, the full Minnesota House and Senate, in an election that will define the balance of power in both Washington and Saint Paul.
The Senate contest pits Peggy Flanagan, a Democrat, against Michele Tafoya, a Republican, for the seat being left by Senator Tina Smith. United States senators serve six-year terms and vote on federal judges, national budgets, foreign policy and the laws that frame state programs, so a single open-seat result in Minnesota will echo well beyond the state's borders and well beyond this election cycle.
Closer to home, all state legislative seats are on the ballot, and their outcomes will decide control of the Minnesota Legislature that meets in the Capitol in Saint Paul. Legislative majorities determine how the state budget is written, which policy proposals advance, and how the new governor's agenda will fare. For voters, the state legislative district on their ballot is one of the most direct levers they hold, even if it receives a fraction of the attention given to statewide races.
The length of this year's ballot is itself a reason to prepare. Review your sample ballot at mnvotes.gov before Tuesday, note that judicial and local contests appear further down the ballot, and give yourself time at the polling place to complete every section you intend to vote. A full turnout with a rare set of open seats is a demanding combination. Minnesota's election system is built for it, and informed voters are the final piece.
