In a matter of days, the calendar will turn from 2025 to 2026.
And of course, given it’s an even-numbered year, that means only one thing to those in political and government circles: it’s an election year.
While we won’t elect a president, in Minnesota there are elections for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the seats in the state legislature and a bevy of other state offices, not to mention local elections at the county, city and school district levels.
Like it or not, we’re sure to be bombarded with advertisements and social media posts and certainly a few visits to town by candidates seeking office.
The backdrop of the election is also likely to frame and loom large over any decisions, or non-decisions, made by the legislature in St. Paul.
The last Republican to win statewide was Tim Pawlenty, when he narrowly won the governor’s race in 2006.
Prospects for the GOP may be better than they have been in recent years, given the controversies over massive fraud that has occurred under the watch of two-term incumbent Democrat Tim Walz.
By all accounts, Walz is vulnerable and he may have a fight on his hands - particularly if the Republicans nominate a candidate who can make inroads in the Twin Cities suburbs.
A similar scenario may play out in our Senate race, with Tina Smith opting against re-election.
Democrats have won comfortably and controlled the state’s two U.S. Senate seats since 2008, when Norm Coleman lost by a couple of hundred votes in a race decided by a prolonged recount.
Headwinds suggest Democrats will make gains nationally and one would expect Minnesota to follow that tide, but again a strong Republican candidate could make Minnesota a state to watch.
Elsewhere, there doesn’t seem to be a strong contender lined up to take on U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, and we should know soon if either State Rep. Roger Skraba (R-Ely) or State Sen. Grant Hauschild (D-Hermantown) have serious and strong opposition.
There are rumors of a rematch between Hauschild and Babbitt’s Andrea Zupancich, while Skraba scored a solid re-election win two years ago.
Those two guys have worked well together and for the region and have established a model of bipartisanship that is as refreshing as it is rare these days.
Voters could well be inclined to leave well enough alone on that front.
Locally, will there be contested elections for school board and city council?
The recent kerfuffle over lodging tax dollars could lead to a more exciting than usual council and mayoral race, and given the school district’s financial woes perhaps there will be a broader debate over school politics and a true election race.
We’re not sure what the next few months will bring politically, but we expect a few twists and turns and some excitement.
We’ll be there to cover it all. Happy New Year!
