This election cycle has seen a number of notable retirements in the House, including most recently that of Rep. Dave Lislegard (DFL-Aurora), who released a statement over Memorial Day weekend. The announcement from the former mayor and three-term representative came as a surprise, though he was facing a tough reelection challenge in a district Donald Trump won by 35%. Over the years, Rep. Lislegard has advocated for many CGMC priorities, including EMS funding this session. Rep. Lislegard’s now open seat represents perhaps the best shot Republicans have of flipping a seat in the House.

Other notable House retirements include several veteran members, such as:

  • Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis), Transportation Committee Chair
  • Rep. Dean Urdahl (R-Grove City), a long-serving ranking member and former Chair of the Capital Investment Committee
  • Rep. Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winna)
  • Rep. Pat Garofolo (R-Farmington)
  • Rep. Michael Nelson (DFL-Brooklyn Park)
  • Rep. John Petersburg (R-Waseca)
  • Rep. Liz Olson (DFL-Duluth)

With the deadline for candidates to file for office rapidly approaching on Tuesday, June 4, there are some interesting primary races to watch on both sides of the aisle. Primary day this year is August 13. In the reliably Democratic District 8A, where the five-term Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee Liz Olson (DFL-Duluth) is retiring, Jordan Johnson recently announced he would be running against the endorsed Democratic candidate Peter Johnson in that primary. Jordan Johnson most recently worked as co-executive director of Life House Duluth, a non-profit focused on youth homelessness. Peter Johnson serves as the Duluth Assistant Fire Chief and announced his candidacy in January.

The open seat left by Rep. Hornstein creates a wide-open DFL primary after no candidate was endorsed in that race. The candidates there are legislative staffer Isabel Rolfes, engineer Katie Jones, and Will Stancil, an attorney and researcher at the University of Minnesota. With the district’s overwhelmingly Democratic tilt, the winner in that primary will likely be the next House representative.

Rep. Gene Pelowski’s seat represents a pickup opportunity for the Republicans, with primary candidates including Aaron Repinski and Stephen James Doerr. Doerr—a math teacher from Sparta—previously ran for the seat, and Repinski—the endorsed candidate—serves on the Winona city council. There was no formal endorsement on the Democratic side, with Pelowski backing previous State Senate candidate Sarah Kruger over Winona County Board member Dwayne Voegeli. Krueger is the Chief of Staff of Fair Vote Minnesota, a group that advocates ranked-choice voting.

Several Republican incumbents did not receive their party’s endorsement for reelection this year: Representatives Ron Kresha (R-Little Falls), Greg Davids (R-Preston), and Brian Johnson (R-Cambridge). These members have all elected to run in the primaries to retain their seats in the Legislature. Rep. Jeff Backer (R-Browns Valley) is also facing a primary challenge from Boone Carlson, a farmer from Norcross.

Rep. Brion Curran (DFL-White Bear Lake) also did not receive her party’s endorsement but is, as of today, the only candidate yet to file.

Two other House members are vacating their current roles to run for other public offices, creating even more open seats. There is an equal number of departing members on both sides of the aisle, and with 20 open seats, lower chamber membership is likely to look much different when lawmakers return on January 14. With less than three months until primary day, this summer will be jam-packed with campaign events, followed by a full sprint to the general election.