2014 Election Recap After months — even years — of campaigning, candidates all over the state ranging from city council to water conservation district, from state House to the U.S. Senate finally got to see where the public was on a number of issues and who the voters chose to lead their local governments, the state and the country. While early national results were trending toward a big night for Republicans as they tightened their grip on the U.S. House of Representatives and took control of the U.S. Senate for the first time since 2006, Minnesota once again showed it doesn’t always follow national trends. The DFL swept the statewide constitutional offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state auditor and secretary of state, and re-elected DFL U.S. Sen. Al Franken. However, in line with national trends, voters returned control of the state House to Republicans, with a majority largely won by defeating incumbents in Greater Minnesota.
By Nick de Julio, Ewald Consulting
Dayton and Franken Roll to Victory
after the polls closed, the media projected Franken as the winner as he defeated GOP candidate Mike McFadden. Winning 53% of the vote compared to McFadden’s 43%, the final percentage difference was very close to recent polling showing a 10% lead for Franken.
Gov. Mark Dayton and Sen. Franken rolled to victory on election night. Both candidates were subject to statewide recounts following their first elections in 2010 (Dayton) and 2008 (Franken) — but were projected as winners just minutes after the polls closed. Gov. Dayton defeated GOP challenger Jeff Johnson, receiving 50% of the vote compared to Johnson’s 44.5%. According to experts, the last weeks in the campaign did not see much fluctuation in polling as most polls had Dayton winning the governor’s race. Independence Party candidate Hannah Nicollet received less than 3% of the vote.
While Franken won here in Minnesota, his win was not in step with the rest of the country — where the GOP won contentious races in many other states, flipping control of the U.S. Senate. Franken will return to Washington as a member of the minority these next two years, as will Sen. Amy Klobuchar (who was not on the ballot this year).
Minnesota’s Congressional Seats: No Surprises
In the race for U.S. Senate, incumbent Franken’s wait was much shorter this election to be declared the winner in Minnesota. Six years ago, Franken was sworn into office six months after the election due to a statewide recount that eventually showed him as the winner by 312 votes. This year, just an hour
With all eight U.S. House seats up for grabs on Tuesday night, there were no real surprises. Six of the eight seats were pretty much a lock to stay with incumbents. Continued on page 22
Benson, Kerrane, Storz & Nelson is pleased to announce that Michael J. Lowder is now licensed to practice in Minnesota. Mr. Lowder has been with BKSN since 2011, both as a law clerk and as an attorney in the firm’s Colorado office, and during that time, he has gained considerable experience representing property owners suffering from defective construction. Mr. Lowder’s background in architecture affords him a unique ability to understand construction defect issues and explain them to judges, juries, and clients.
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www.bensonpc.com November | December 2014
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