By J. Patrick Coolican | Editor-in-chief
Good afternoon, Reformers.
As expected, Rep. Zack Stephenson will be the next state House speaker, and Sen. Erin Murphy will remain majority leader.
Senate Republicans have elected Sen. Jordan Rasmusson of Fergus Falls.
I interviewed him on our long-ago podcast — long live Reformer Radio! — and wrote a column about him in 2021. This was just a couple months after Jan. 6, and Rasmusson was urging the party to move on from Trump. Naturally, I agreed.
From the perspective of purely electoral politics, we were both proven wrong once Trump made his triumphant return. But after a Watergate-level loss that could have reverberations for years, Rasmusson looks more prescient.
As I wrote at the time, his “resume reads like Republicans of old, when the word ‘elite’ was something to aspire to, not an epithet to be spat.” He’s a Harvard grad who worked at McKinsey.
He’ll have a tough job because the caucus is very rural and right wing, and they’ll need assurances that he’s no RINO. But the next time senators are on the ballot, 2030, could be a Democratic president’s first midterm, and maybe we’ll get a Republican wave, after which he’d be majority leader. Let’s hope he’s developing a post-Trump agenda. We’ll all be better for it.
Correction from Thursday: We don’t have automatic recounts; they must be requested after official results, though the state pays for them if the margin in legislative races is less than 0.5%.
To the Reformer:
Attendees celebrate as results roll in at the DFL watch party, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every Minnesota House district voted more blue than in 2024, leading to a DFL trifecta in the state government. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
By Alyssa Chen
The national wave of anti-Trump fervor that swept the country Tuesday seems to have permeated every geographic region of Minnesota: Every Minnesota House district shifted leftward in 2026 compared to 2024, with several districts moving left by over 15 percentage points.
In 10 districts, that meant voters who chose Republican legislators in 2024 voted for a Democrat in 2026, ousting several Republican incumbents. In six districts, Trump-voting legislative districts voted for a Democrat for the Minnesota House in 2026.
By Brian Martucci
3M, which is responsible for widespread groundwater contamination from so-called forever chemicals in the eastern Twin Cities metro, will pay $7.35 billion to settle the vast majority of outstanding personal injury claims against it.
The Minnesota corporate behemoth and a group of plaintiffs’ lawyers announced the settlement on Tuesday. As many as 120,000 people who say they were injured by PFAS and similar chemicals in firefighting foam, drinking water and other sources could be eligible for compensation under the agreement.
Lots of added history and context from our previous PFAS reporting.
By Chad Maschke
A double commentary day, starting with our resident Emmerologist, who notes that Emmer’s nationwide tour on behalf of Republican candidates didn’t seem to help them much, and now he’s fighting for his job as GOP whip, but in the minority.
“Most of his campaigning time went to Republicans who lost, and they won’t be in the room when the conference picks its next whip. When Minnesota and the White House split over Metro Surge, I found no evidence of him using that access to seek changes. The tax and spending cut law he whipped is projected to cost as many as 140,000 Minnesotans their Medicaid coverage while adding trillions to the debt he once said his children would inherit. And the president he tied the GOP conference to asked voters to judge him. They did.”
By J. Patrick Coolican
Eye-watering turnout figures in Somali precincts, and a total repudiation of Republicans here give me hope that the bigotry only served to keep its adherents out of power.
Kudos to the community for using their voting power.
IN OTHER NEWS
Trump’s gerrymandering push flops as Democrats win redrawn seats | Reformer via States Newsroom
A blue wave and a quiet campaign tanked Tafoya’s bid for upset | Star Tribune gift link
Peggy Noonan on the collapse of her once-beloved GOP | Wall Street Journal gift link
Madi McVan got written up in her hometown paper! | Liberty Hill Independent
OH BY THE WAY
I must be among the few people to leave “You Can See Everything” early. I had to skeddaddle to get to Finn’s 5th birthday. (To his grandmother: Drum kit is a big hit.)
The movie is great so far, and I’ll be going again ASAP. No spoilers!
Have a great weekend! JPC
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