Recent polling and local community response has elevated a number of the 134 Minnesota State House elections to the “Hot List.” Most of these seats are in a swing district, have a potentially vulnerable freshman member and/or a high-profile, well-known local candidate challenging the incumbent.

Because the DFL controls the House with 73 seats (a 12 seat margin) they have more seats to defend this election cycle. The DFL can lose up to 5 seats and still maintain control of the House. The GOP currently holds 61 seats, most of them in “safe’ GOP districts. They are able to concentrate on more of the swing seats and vulnerable freshmen DFL members.

2B – Park Rapids / Mahnomen / White Earth – Steve Green (GOP) / David Sobieski (DFL)

• GOP incumbent freshman Green won this open DFL seat with 383 votes in 2012. He is being challenged by Sobieski, a veteran, who owns a small canvas boat materials business and has been running for the seat for over a year.

10B – Aitkin/Crosby/Cross Lake area - Joe Radinovich (DFL)/ Dale Lueck (GOP)

• This was another close race with Radinovich winning by 323 votes. It is a re-match for the freshman who is being challenged by Dale Lueck, a long-time resident, Navy veteran, County Commissioner and local cattle farmer.

11B – Mora/Pine City/Sandstone area - Tim Faust (DFL)/ Jason Rarick (GOP)

• Faust, a minister, is serving his third non-consecutive term. He won by 488 votes in 2012. He is active in education and agriculture policy. This seat has swung back and forth a few times between the DFL and GOP. Rarick, a life-long Pine City resident, is a local electrical contractor, active in the union and youth athletic coaching, and a first time candidate.

12A – Elbow Lake / Morris / Starbuck area – Jay McNamar (DFL) / Jeff Backer (GOP)

• DFL freshman incumbent McNamar won by 255 votes in 2012. This seat was formerly held by Republican Torrey Westrom who ran for the state Senate and won in 2012. The GOP challenger Jeff Backer served four years on the Browns Valley City Council, as Mayor for three terms and is a small business owner. He is currently serving on the school board and is a volunteer EMT.

14B St. Cloud area – Zach Dorholt (DFL) / Jim Knoblach (GOP)

• DFL freshman incumbent Zach Dorholt won decisively in 2012. This year he faces an experienced veteran law maker who stepped back into the limelight by filing a lawsuit in an attempt to stop the $77 million Senate Office Building that the DFL controlled legislature passed in the 2013 session. GOPer Jim Knoblach is a fiscal hawk with financial credentials and legislative experience. This will be a very interesting race to watch.

17B Willmar / New London / Spicer area – Mary Sawatsky (DFL) / Dave Baker (GOP)

• DFL freshman incumbent Mary Sawatsky won with 8 percentage points in 2012 to flip this seat from GOP to DFL. She is a special education teacher. Challenging Sawatsky is GOP businessman Dave Baker who owns a hotel/boat tour business operating on Green Lake in the area. He is a well-known, active member of the community. This will be an expensive race for both candidates.

24A Owatonna / Waseca area – John Petersburg (GOP) / Beverly Cashman (DFL)

• GOP freshman incumbent Petersburg took the open seat in 2012. He is being challenged by Cashman who is a popular music teacher in the area. She is a long time resident of the district.

27A Albert Lea / Blooming Prairie area – Shannon Savick (DFL) / Peggy Bennett (GOP)

• DFL freshman incumbent Shannon Savick won by 3 percent in 2012. She is a retired teacher. First time candidate Peggy Bennett is a first grade teacher who took a leave of absence in order to run for the House. Bennett is working with former state Representative Rich Murray who lost to Savick in 2012. Independence Party candidate Thomas Price is also running and his candidacy will affect the outcome of the race.

36A Champlin / Coon Rapids area – Mark Uglem (GOP) / Jefferson Fietek (DFL)

• GOP freshman Uglem won this open seat by 2 percentage points. This seat was previously held by the DFL. First time candidate Fietek is a local drama teacher who was active on the anti-bullying bill which passed the legislature in 2013.

36B Brooklyn Park area – Melissa Hortman (DFL) / Peter Crema (GOP)

• Five-term incumbent DFL attorney Melissa Hortman who chairs the Energy Policy committee, is having to spend a little more time and energy in her district. GOP challenger Peter Crema is a two-term Brooklyn Park City Council member and local attorney with significant community involvement. He is mounting a serious challenge.

42A Arden Hills / Moundsview / Shoreview area – Barb Yarusso (DFL) / Randy Jessup (GOP)

• Barb Yarusso is the DFL freshman incumbent. She won with a clear majority in 2012. Yarusso is an educator and chemical engineer. She is facing a challenge from first time GOP candidate Randy Jessup. Jessup owns and operates three UPS stores. He is also a chemical engineer and has an MBA in marketing.

43A Maplewood / Mahtomedi / White Bear Lake area – Peter Fischer (DFL) / Stacey Stout (GOP)

• DFL freshman incumbent Peter Fischer won this race in 2012 with a 6 percent margin. He is facing a re-match from GOP candidate Stacey Stout. 2012 was a strong year for the DFL. This time around Stout has the momentum. She is an attorney with experience in DC and at the Department of Justice.

48A Eden Prairie / Minnetonka area – Yvonne Selcer (DFL) / Kirk Stensrud (GOP)

• This seat flipped in 2012. DFL freshman Selcer won by 202 votes. She beat Kirk Stensrud, who is back for a re-match this election cycle. Stensrud is a small business owner, member of the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, hoping to make it back to the Capitol.

49B - Bloomington/Edina area - Paul Rosenthal (DFL)/ Barbara Sutter (GOP)

• This is another swing seat that has bounced back and forth between the DFL and GOP. Sutter is challenging incumbent Rosenthal. Sutter is a military wife and has a background in accounting working for many years in income tax preparation. She has been very active in local Republican politics. Rosenthal, the DFL incumbent is serving his second non-consecutive term. He started Minnesota’s first paint-your-own-pottery business and currently operates a small business in foreign currency trading.

51A – Eagan – Sandra Masin (DFL)/ Andrea Todd- Harlin (GOP)

• This swing seat is hard to predict. DFL incumbent Sandra Masin is serving her third non-consecutive term. Masin is a financial services representative; she won the seat with an 11 point margin in 2012. The GOP candidate is Andrea Todd-Harlin, a healthcare professional with local experience on the Parks Commission. She won the Primary and is polling well.

51B – Eagan – Laurie Halverson (DFL) / Jen Wilson (GOP)

• This is another swing seat. In 2012 both House seats and the Senate seat shifted from GOP to DFL. Laurie Halverson is the freshman DFL incumbent. She is an active stay at home mother who volunteers with the Parks Commission, Eagan Foundation and Citizens League. The GOP first time candidate is Jen Wilson a paralegal, active mother of three teenagers and 14 year resident of Eagan.

56B – Burnsville/Lakeville area - Will Morgan (DFL) / Roz Peterson (GOP)

• Morgan, the DFL incumbent is a Burnsville High School physics and chemistry teacher. He won this seat by 170 votes in 2012 and it is a re-match against Roz Peterson, an active Lakeville School Board member, local realtor and Lakeville Chamber member.

OPEN SEATS

This election cycle 15 incumbent members announced their retirements. These seats are now “open seats” with no incumbent running and have DFL and GOP candidates running for the opportunity to represent the citizens of their district.

44B – Minnetonka/Plymouth area - Open Seat Jon Applebaum (DFL) / Ryan Rutzick (GOP)

• Four term incumbent Mike Benson decided to step down and this Minnetonka seat had a 3 way DFL Primary. Jon Applebaum, a local, well-financed attorney turned real estate consultant from the area won the Primary over Jon Tollefson and Tony Wagner. Applebaum spent close to $60k to win. This is a tough seat for GOP, but an open seat holds a better chance of a win. The GOP have first time candidate Ryan Rutzick, an active chamber member and partner in a local family owned appliance and cabinet distribution company. Word is the two candidates are cousins which must make family gatherings interesting.

These four open seats are in strong DFL territory and should remain DFL

• 7A Huntley – Jennifer Schultz (DFL) / Becky Hall (GOP)
• 19B Brynaert – Jack Considine (DFL) / Dave Kruse (GOP)
• 46B Simon – Cheryl Youakim (DFL) / Brian Bjornson (GOP)
• 64B Paymar – Dave Pinto (DFL) / Daniel Surman (GOP)

These 10 open seats are in strong GOP territory and should remain GOP

• 20A Woodard – Bob Vogel (GOP) / Thomas Lofgren (DFL)
• 26B Mike Benson – Nels Pierson (GOP) / Rich Wright (DFL)
• 30B Fitzsimmons – Eric Lucero (GOP) / Sharon Shimek (DFL)
• 34B Zellers – Dennis Smith (GOP) / David Hoden (DFL)
• 35A Abeler – Abigail Whelan (GOP) / Peter Perovich (DFL)
• 47A Leidiger – Jim Nash (GOP) / Matthew Gieseke (DFL)
• 53B Kieffer – Kelly Fenton (GOP) / Kay Hendrikson (DFL)
• 55A Beard – Bob Loonan (GOP) / Jay Whiting (DFL)
• 56A Myhra – Drew Christensen (GOP) / Dan Kimmel (DFL)
• 58A Holberg – Jon Koznick (GOP) / Amy Willingham (DFL)