St. Cloud races could decide who controls Legislature

Control of the Minnesota Legislature could depend on the outcome of a handful of competitive races in next month's election, including three contested seats in the St. Cloud area.

Many legislative districts in Minnesota are safely Republican or Democrat. But the St. Cloud region’s divided electorate makes it an unpredictable battleground. Voters will decide whether to return an incumbent to the Minnesota Senate and choose two new state representatives.

“This St. Cloud area is most likely going to decide the majority in the Minnesota Legislature,” said Matt Lindstrom, political science professor at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University in central Minnesota.