This browser does not support the Video element.
MN Legislature: Special elections to fill open seats
Multiple special elections are expected to fill three seats at the Minnesota Legislature following the deaths of Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. Bruce Anderson, as well as the conviction of Sen. Nicole Mitchell.
WOODBURY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A special election to fill the Minnesota Senate seat previously held by former Minnesota DFL State Sen. Nicole Mitchell could impact the balance of power in the chamber.
READ MORE: Former Nicole Mitchell Senate District 47 special election candidates decided
Race for Minnesota Senate District 47
Local perspective:
Voters in Minnesota Senate District 47, which includes Woodbury and a portion of Maplewood in the east Twin Cities metro, will head to the polls to decide who will finish former Sen. Mitchell's term, which runs through January 2027.
Mitchell resigned from the Senate in July after being convicted of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools when a jury found she had broken into her stepmother's home. Mitchell was sentenced to six months of work release and a 21-month stayed sentence with supervised probation for five years.
Who are the candidates?
Dig deeper:
The race is between Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, a Democrat, and Dwight Dorau, a Republican.
Hemmingsen-Jaeger has been a state representative since 2023. She has a background in science and public policy. She won her District 47A race in 2022 by a wide margin, 60-40%.
Dorau is a retired Air Force colonel who lost to Mitchell in the Senate District 47 race in 2022 by 18 percentage points. He works at Johnson High School in St. Paul as the senior aerospace science instructor for the Air Force Junior ROTC program.
The candidates emerged after a special election primary was held on Aug. 26. According to the Minnesota Secretary of State's website, Hemmingsen-Jaeger won 82.28% of the vote in the DFL primary. Dorau won the Republican primary in an uncontested race.
Senate District 47 leans Democrat. Mitchell won the seat in 2022 by a 59-41% margin, beating Dorau.
Big picture view:
The outcome of the election could impact the balance of power in the Minnesota Senate. Democrats currently have a 33-32 advantage with two open seats, but with special elections in Senate District 47 and Senate District 29, that could change.
Where to vote
What's next:
Early voting can be done in person until Nov. 3.
Election day is Nov. 4. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
To find your polling place, click here.
The Source: This story uses information from records in the Minnesota legislature and previous FOX 9 reporting.