The 2016 Minnesota Senate election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 8, 2016, to elect members to the Senate of the 90th and 91st Minnesota Legislatures. A primary election was held in several districts on August 9, 2016. The election coincided with the election of the other house of the Legislature, the House of Representatives.

The Republican Party of Minnesota won a majority of seats, defeating the majority of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). This was the first election for the DFL since it won a majority of seats in the 2012 election, after losing a majority to the Republicans in the 2010 election. The new Legislature convened on January 3, 2017.

Background The last election resulted in the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) winning a majority of seats, after losing a majority to the Republican Party of Minnesota only two years earlier in the previous election. This resulted in the Republicans losing the only majority they have had since the return of partisan elections to the Senate in 1976. In conjunction with the result of the House election, it also resulted in the return of all-DFL control of the Legislature since 2010 as well as the return of all-party and all-DFL control of the Legislature and governorship since 1990, which ended with the election of a Republican majority to the House in 2014.

Electoral system The 67 members of the Senate were elected from single-member districts via first-past-the-post voting for four-year terms. Contested nominations of the DFL and Republican parties for each district were determined by an open primary election. Minor party and independent candidates were nominated by petition. Write-in candidates must have filed a request with the secretary of state's office for votes for them to have been counted.

Retiring members

DFL Terri Bonoff, 44th Barb Goodwin, 41st Alice Johnson, 37th Jim Metzen, 52nd Died of lung cancer on July 11, 2016. Roger Reinert, 7th Bev Scalze, 42nd Kathy Sheran, 19th Katie Sieben, 54th LeRoy Stumpf, 1st

Republican Dave Brown, 15th Julianne Ortman, 47th John Pederson, 14th Dave Thompson, 58th

Predictions SourceRankingAs of Governing | October 12, 2016

Competitive districts According to MinnPost, the Star Tribune, the Pioneer Press, and MPR News, a total of 19 districts were competitive. MinnPost considered 12 districts to be competitive—10 of which were held by the DFL and two by the Republicans, the Star Tribune 19—13 of which were held by the DFL and six by the Republicans, the Pioneer Press six—five of which were held by the DFL and one by the Republicans, and MPR News nine—seven of which were held by the DFL and two by the Republicans.

District Incumbent Party Firstelected 2012result MinnPost Star Tribune Pioneer Press MPR NewsResult 1 LeRoy Stumpf‡ DFL 1982 60.59% Republican gain2 Rod Skoe DFL2002 54.92% Republican gain4 Kent Eken DFL2012 52.17% Hold 14 John Pederson‡ Republican 2010 52.47% Hold17 Lyle Koenen DFL2012* 55.40% Republican gain20 Kevin Dahle DFL2008*, 2012† 50.02% Republican gain 21 Matt Schmit DFL 2012 52.43% Republican gain 24 Vicki Jensen DFL 2012 52.60% Republican gain26 Carla Nelson Republican2010 55.62% Hold32 Sean Nienow§ Republican2002, 2010† 54.25% Hold 36 John Hoffman DFL 2012 53.10% Hold 37 Alice Johnson‡ DFL 2012 53.23% Hold 44 Terri Bonoff‡ DFL 2005* 55.81% Republican gain 48 David Hann Republican 2002 51.32% DFL gain49 Melisa Franzen DFL2012 52.74% Hold 53 Susan Kent DFL 2012 52.13% Hold56 Dan Hall Republican2010 53.92% Hold 57 Greg Clausen DFL 2012 54.09% Hold58 Dave Thompson‡ Republican2010 57.60% DFL gain

Primary elections results District Party Candidates Votes % 1 Republican Mark Johnson 2,561 83.99 Edwin Dale Hahn 488 16.01 DFL Kip Fontaine 2,369 77.47 Jual Carlson 689 22.53 5 Republican Justin Eichorn 1,485 73.26 Pedie Pederson 542 26.74 DFL Tom Saxhaug 2,140 100.00 15 Republican Andrew Mathews 1,938 63.92 Dan Whitcomb 1,094 36.08 DFL Chilah Brown 657 58.71 Rob Passons 462 41.29 23 Republican Julie Rosen 2,706 100.00 DFL Barbara Lake 967 67.96 John Lillis 456 32.04 24 Republican John Jasinski 983 100.00 DFL Vicki Jensen 1,430 89.77 Rich Bailey 163 10.23 27 Republican Gene Dornink 948 69.15 Cynthia Gail 423 30.85 DFL Dan Sparks 1,379 100.00 32 Republican Mark Koran 1,709 63.39 Sean Nienow 987 36.61 DFL Tim Nelson 964 100.00 52 Republican Mark Misukanis 2,482 100.00 DFL Matt Klein 3,678 69.21 Todd Podgorski 1,636 30.79 53 Republican Sharna Wahlgren 745 65.81 Bill Dahn 387 34.19 DFL Susan Kent 2,290 100.00 59 Republican Jennifer Carnahan 293 100.00 DFL Bobby Joe Champion 4,020 81.99 Patwin Lawrence 883 18.01 62 Republican Bruce Lundeen 165 100.00 DFL Jeff Hayden 3,711 72.85 Mohamoud Hassan 1,383 27.15 64 Republican Ian Baird 461 64.48 Sharon Anderson 254 35.52 DFL Dick Cohen 8,213 100.00

Opinion polling Polling firm Polling period Samplesize Margin oferror DFL Republican UndecidedPublic Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling July 30 – August 2, 2015 1,015 ±3.1 46% 40% 15%

Results

+ Summary of the November 8, 2016, Minnesota Senate election resultsPartyCandidatesVotesSeats%∆∆%Republican Party of Minnesota651,377,12848.965.4734650.75Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party671,409,77550.125.7133649.25Legal Marijuana Now Party18,8610.320.3200.00Libertarian Party of Minnesota37,8990.280.2800.00Independence Party of Minnesota13,1970.110.1100.00Write-inN/A5,9640.210.0500.00Total2,812,824100.00±0.0067±0100.00Invalid/blank votes155,4575.241.77Turnout (out of 3,972,330 eligible voters)2,968,28174.721.70

District results