Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Minnesota Index: Special elections

House Photography file photo
House Photography file photo

Legislative special elections since statehood        163

                House   61

                Senate  102

Most House special elections in one year (1995 and 2003)             4

                Senate (1861, all five on Oct. 8)  5

Special elections held in the 1990s            29

                1970s and 2000s                17

                1980s and 2010s                15

Calendar days on which legislative special elections have been held         82

                Most popular day (Nov. 3)           14

                Most popular month (November)            42

                Least popular months (June, August and September)     2

Current House members who have won legislative special elections        11

                Current senators              5

Most sessions served by a current legislator who won a special election 15

Longest legislative special election winning streak (Republican/Independent Republican party 1991-96) 18

Ballots cast in last House special election (District 32B on Feb. 14, 2017)   7,119

House bills involving special elections introduced so far this session         20

                Senate bills         17

Currently scheduled city or school district special elections through June 12         12

Congressional special elections held in Minnesota            5

                Last time it happened    1977

Sources: Legislative Reference Library; Smart Politics blog; Office of the Secretary of State


Related Articles


Priority Dailies

Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, husband killed in attack
House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, pictured during the 2023 legislative session. (House Photography file photo) House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in their home early Saturday morning. Gov. Tim Walz announced the news dur...
Lawmakers deliver budget bills to governor's desk in one-day special session
House Speaker Lisa Demuth gavels out the one-day, June 9 special session. Members are scheduled to be back together in St. Paul on Feb. 17, 2026. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) About that talk of needing all 21 hours left in a legislative day to complete a special session? House members were more than up to the challenge Monday. Beginning at 10 a.m...