Republicans gain temporary control of Minnesota House after Democrat decides not to appeal ruling [View all]
Source: AP
Updated 4:46 PM EST, December 28, 2024
ROSEVILLE, Minn. (AP) — Republicans will start the year with at least a temporary majority in the Minnesota House after a Democrat decided not to appeal a judge’s decision that he failed to establish residency in the suburban district he was elected to represent.
That means Republicans will have a slim 67-66 majority in the House when the Legislature begins Jan. 14. That may not last long because Gov. Tim Walz has already scheduled a Jan. 28 special election in the Democratic-leaning district that Curtis Johnson won by 30 points in November.
“While I disagree with the conclusions reached by the District Court, I recognize that whatever the decision on appeal the ultimate decision belongs to the Legislature, where it appears there is no viable pathway for me being allowed to retain my seat,” Johnson said in his resignation letter Friday. “Rather than dragging this out further, I have decided to resign now, so that a special election can be held as soon as possible.”
Ramsey County Judge Leonardo Castro ruled last week that Johnson didn’t live in the Roseville-area district for the required six months ahead of the election and is therefore ineligible to serve.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-legislature-republican-control-8df59c3c76f8ab75d86d2311586a5dde
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