Summary of Minnesota's 1998 Elections

Publication Date: December 1999

Publisher: National Institute on Money in State Politics (U.S.)

Author(s): Mark Dixon

Research Area: Politics

Type: Report

Coverage: Minnesota

Abstract:

Minnesota is divided into 67 Senate districts, each having a population of about 60,000 people. Each district is divided into A and B to designate the House districts. All 134 House seats were up for election in 1998. Representatives serve for two years and senators serve for four. The last Senate elections were in 1996. Republicans won control of the Minnesota House in 1998 for the first time in 14 years. As a result, the 1999 Legislature saw Republicans with 71 seats and Democrats (DFL) with 63. Since the 1996 elections, the DFL have had control of the Senate, holding 39 seats. Republicans hold 26 seats and one senator is an independent. One seat is empty, due to the death of Sen. Janet Johnson.