House back to 67-all after DFL candidate wins District 40B special election

David Gottfried won Tuesday’s District 40B special election, a result that not only gives representation to parts of Roseville and Shoreview but could play a huge role in how the 2025 legislative session plays out.

Rep.-elect David Gottfried

Gottfried’s win means the House will be back to being tied with 67 members from each party once the DFLer is sworn in. A pro bono specialist at a law firm, Gottfried earned 70.15% of the vote to beat Republican Paul Wikstrom.  

In a statement, Gottfried said: “This victory is for Roseville, Shoreview, and every constituent who hasn’t been represented for weeks. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be headed to Saint Paul as soon as possible to get to work for this district and Minnesota.” 

The result will force cooperation between the two sides to get bills passed in this budget-setting year.

[MORE: Feb. 5 power-sharing agreement]

“This win confirms we will be working under the power-sharing agreement we negotiated with House Republicans. Democrats have been ready to work in a bipartisan way for months. It’s time for our Republican colleagues to leave the partisan games behind and work with us to craft a budget for the people of Minnesota,” House Speaker Emerita, DFL Leader Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) said in a statement.

Curtis Johnson won the seat by more than 30% at the Nov. 5 election; however, a district judge ruled in December the DFL candidate did not meet the residency requirement to serve the district.