Dayton orders special elections for 2 MN House seats

Governor Dayton has scheduled special elections for two open seats in the Minnesota House.

Dayton has called for special elections to take place on February 12 for House seats in the St. Cloud area and the North Mankato/St. Peter area. He also scheduled the party primaries to be held on January 29 if they're needed.

Dayton ordered the special elections on the same day that 199 state lawmakers were sworn in for a new session. Two House members resigned their positions after they won in November but before the Legislative session started. DFL Representative Terry Morrow resigned to take a job with Chicago based Uniform Law Commission. Republican Representative Steve Gottwalt resigned after he took a lobbying job with the Center for Diagnostic Imaging of St. Louis Park.

Candidates can start filing for either legislative seat on January 9th. Filings close on January 15th. Democrats will control the House regardless of the outcome of the special elections.

There have been 17 special elections in the Minnesota Legislature since 2004. DFLers won 13 of those races. GOP won four times.

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