On Tuesday, former state Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart won the DFL primary in Senate District 45, which covers communities near Lake Minnetonka and further west. She is moving on to face Republican candidate Kathleen Fowke, a west metro realtor, in November. Fowke ran against former DFL state Sen. Kelly Morrison in 2022 and lost. In the Republican primary, she ran unopposed.

. . . The winner of the special election will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the Minnesota Senate. The seat opened after DFL state Sen. Kelly Morrison stepped down to run for U.S. Congress. Her departure left the Senate split 33-33, pending the special election. . . . In other words, the race creates an opportunity for Republicans to break up the DFL trifecta.

It’s considered a swing district, . . .

Morrison won the race against Fowke in 2022 by more than 12 percentage points in a year where Democrats outperformed expectations . . .

. . . Republicans believe they have a strong chance at flipping the seat. Political analysts expect $3 million to $5 million could be spent in the district as both parties try to gain the seat. The record amount of spending in competitive races around the state is a little over $2 million

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