Minnesota Makes History, Elects Pro-Labor Majorities The Fight Continues

The 2026 midterm elections will go down in history, both in Minnesota and nationwide, for historic wins, including the election of the first Native American woman senator and Minnesota’s first woman governor. The DFL is looking at a possible 77-seat majority in the Minnesota House after flipping 10 seats, and a possible 39-seat majority in the Senate after flipping six seats and losing one, resulting in a pro-labor majority in both bodies. Some races will undergo a recount given their razor-thin margins, including the previously DFL-held Senate seat in the SD4 Moorhead area and several House seats.

“Thank you to MAPE members for making your voices heard at the ballot box,” said MAPE President Nicole Juan. “Billionaires spent millions of dollars in races across the nation to keep the status quo, but Americans showed that organized people will win against big money when there is a common goal. We stood together and made it clear:  we demand leaders who champion the working class.”

MAPE’s new campaign program was incredibly successful, exceeding the goal of 1,000 shifts. Members knocked nearly 30,000 doors and spoke with over 6,000 Minnesotans, asking what issues were most important to them and encouraging people to vote for candidates who support workers.

“We had people from all over our union, many who had never been politically active before, come out and knock doors. We had an unprecedented number of members contribute their time and energy to elect pro-labor candidates to the legislature, and they did it for a better state budget and a better contract,” explained MAPE Political Action Committee (PAC) Chair Monica Weber. “We showed that when it matters, MAPE shows up!”

The candidate-elects will take their seats in January, and that is when the real work begins. The last time the Democrats had the trifecta, the state also had a surplus that allowed for new programs and major investments.

“Minnesota state workers will have a new boss in January, and we will make sure the governor knows our priority is raising revenue to fully fund state agencies so we can provide the programs Minnesotans need and deserve,” Juan continued. “It is also a contract bargaining year and prioritizing the staff that keep the state working means investing in a healthy state budget. The money is there; Minnesota needs our newly elected legislators and leadership to champion legislation that will get us there, including a 5^th-tier tax and eliminating tax breaks for data centers and corporations.”

MAPE has been involved in this election process since caucuses in February, with a record number of attendees across the state who turned out to support pro-labor candidates, and that momentum carried through to the PAC’s successful door-knocking efforts and now the Political Council will turn its focus to the legislative session.

“Electing pro-labor candidates is just the beginning,” said Political Council Chair James Dirth. “Now we need to turn out members to have meetings with their legislators to educate them on the important work state workers do, and that work is a line item in the budget that cannot be cut. The people have spoken with their votes; they want a government that invests in its people, through programs and services that our members provide, making health care affordable and ensuring our economy is working for everyone and not just billionaires.”

“The same billionaires who spend millions against pro-worker candidates are now going to spend big money on lobbyists who will meet with legislators and try to pressure elected officials to break their campaign promises,” Dirth continued. “So how do we fight back? The same way we did during the election – with people. Organized people at the Capitol to remind our elected officials they represent us, the people, not big money.”

Mark your calendars for the MAPE Lobby Day Rally on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2027 at 2:30 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. MAPE members will also have an opportunity to meet with their legislators either at the Capitol or in district.

“Take some time to celebrate this win; rest up; the fight will continue!” Dirth said.