Voters will decide Tuesday who controls the Minnesota Senate. Here’s what you need to know.

*The elm tree in front of the Minnesota State Capitol shows fall colors Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)*

This story was originally published by Minnesota Reformer.

Voters in the east metro and in Wright County will decide control of the Minnesota Senate Tuesday, as two seats are up for grabs in separate special elections.

GOP Sen. Bruce Anderson of Buffalo died in July, and Democratic-Farmer-Labor Sen. Nicole Mitchell resigned after a lengthy criminal saga that resulted in a first-degree burglary conviction.

Prior to the two vacancies earlier this year, Democrats controlled the Minnesota Senate 34-33.

The party-endorsed candidates in both Senate districts also won their August primaries.

With a Democratic governor and an equally divided House, a Republican-controlled Senate wouldn’t result in significant new laws. And, with the state’s two-year budget already set through June 30, 2027, legislators won’t make major changes to taxes and spending next year.

But control of the chamber still matters. Republican committee chairs could hear their members’ bills and hold hearings on favorable issues in an election year. The majority status could also boost Republican fundraising for the 2026 election.

To do it, however, Republicans would need to spark a major upset.

Here’s what you need to know about each race.

Senate District 47

Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger is running as the DFL candidate for Senate District 47, which includes Woodbury and part of Maplewood. This seat was formerly held by Mitchell.

Hemmingsen-Jaeger was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2022. She has a science background, holding degrees in cell biology, genetics and environmental policy. She’s worked for the departments of Public Safety and Human Services.

Senate District 47 leans blue, but it may be competitive in a low-turnout special election to replace a disgraced Democrat.

The Republican candidate is Dwight Dorau, an Air Force veteran and a teacher in the Junior ROTC program at Johnson High School in St. Paul. Dorau is a retired colonel, and he served in Afghanistan. In 2022, Dorau lost his bid for the District 47 seat to Mitchell by 18 percentage points.

If Hemmingsen-Jaeger wins this Senate election, Gov. Tim Walz will need to call another special election to replace her in the House.

Senate District 29

Michael Holmstrom Jr. is running as the Republican candidate for Senate District 29, which includes Buffalo, Monticello, Delano and Annandale. This seat was formerly held by Anderson.

Senate District 29 is a safely red district.

Holmstrom is a small business owner from Buffalo and a longtime Wright County GOP volunteer. On his campaign site, Holmstrom said he’s had years of “pro-life activism” and committed to “defending girls’ sports and standing with parents as the primary decision-makers in their children’s education.”

The Democratic candidate is Louis McNutt, an equipment mechanic for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. McNutt is also a union leader with AFSCME Local 221. He has made cost of living a centerpiece of his campaign for Senate.