2022 Election Night Analysis

I’d like to introduce myself, I’m Avonna Starck and I am the new State Director for Clean Water Action in Minnesota. I am finishing my first month as State Director and election night has come and gone – but thankfully it’s left us with some good news. Now that the ballots have been counted and the political landscape for the next legislative session is clear – we have a lot of opportunity to do good work in the areas of water, environmental justice, and stopping pollution at the source.

Of the 56 Clean Water Action endorsed candidates, 46 won their seats (82% success rate). The DFL won all the constitutional offices and a majority in both the House and Senate.  With the DFL firmly in control of the Governor’s office and both chambers of the legislature combined with the large surplus left after the legislature adjourned on May 23, 2022, we are poised for a busy legislative session when it begins in January 2023.

We are going to pick up where we left off in early 2022 when the Senate blocked our initiatives. We are going to work with stakeholders and lawmakers to reintroduce the 8 bills we prioritized that focused on addressing polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). We will continue to work with coalition members on legislation regarding cumulative impact and lead. And we will continue to work on environmental justice issues with the lawmakers who represent some of the most impacted areas of the state.

This election sends a strong message – Minnesota is ready. It’s ready for dedicated, ambitious, inspiring, and innovative leadership. Minnesotans voted for candidates who promised action in the area of water health. We voted for those who vowed to nurse our water back to health while protecting it from future damage. Here are Clean Water Action, we are ready to partner with the lawmakers you sent to St Paul to do this important work. For that, we thank you. You spoke, you voted, and now the legislature must listen and act.

Congratulations to our endorsed candidates:

Governor & Lt Governor: Tim Walz & Peggy Flanagan – WIN with 52.27% of the vote

Attorney General: Keith Ellison – WIN with 50.37% of the vote

2nd Congressional District: Angie Craig - WIN with 50.80% of the vote

3rd Congressional District: Dean Phillips - WIN with 59.56% of the vote

4th Congressional District: Betty McCollum – WIN with 67.72% of the vote

Senate District 8: Jennifer McEwan – WIN with 71.53% of the vote

Senate District 14: Aric Putnam – WIN with 52.29% of the vote

Senate District 18: Nick Frentz – WIN with 57.78% of the vote

Senate District 25: Liz Boldon – WIN with 58.49% of the vote

Senate District 34: John Hoffman – WIN with 54.87% of the vote

Senate District 39: Mary Kunesh – WIN with 66.49% of the vote

Senate District 40: John Marty – WIN with 64.76% of the vote

Senate District 41: Judy Seeberger – WIN with 50.33% of the vote

Senate District 43: Ann Rest – WIN with 77.29% of the vote

Senate District 45: Kelly Morrison – WIN with 56.28% of the vote

Senate District 49: Steve Cwodzinski – WIN with 62.27% of the vote

Senate District 51: Melissa Halvorson Wiklund – WIN 69.64% of the vote

Senate District 52: Jim Carlson – WIN 62.91% of the vote

Senate District 55: Lindsey Port – WIN 55.30% of the vote

Senate District 56: Erin Maye Quade – WIN with 56.66% of the vote

Senate District 60: Kari Dziedzic – WIN with 98.71% of the vote

Senate District 61: Scott Dibble – WIN with 98.71% of the vote

Senate District 64: Erin Murphy – WIN with 84.21% of the vote

Senate District 65: Sandy Pappas – WIN with 80.12% of the vote

House District 8B: Alicia Kozlowski – WIN with 70.95% of the vote

House District 18A: Jeff Brand – WIN with 51.03%

House District 24B: Tina Liebling - WIN with 57.02% of the vote

House District 25A: Kim Hicks – WIN with 55.21% of the vote

District 32B: Matt Norris - WIN with 51.12% of the vote

District 33B: Josiah Hill - WIN with 53.94% of the vote  

District 35B: Jerry Newton – WIN with 50.64% of the vote

District 34B: Melissa Hortman - WIN with 62.48% of the vote

District 40B: Jamie Becker-Finn - WIN with 67.72% of the vote

District 43B: Mike Freiberg - WIN with 97.53% of the vote  

District 44A: Peter Fischer - WIN with 62.72% of the vote

District 45B: Patty Acomb - WIN with 62.06% of the vote

District 46A: Larry Kraft - WIN with 97.88% of the vote

District 47B: Ethan Cha - WIN with 53.13% of the vote

District 49B: Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn – WIN with 57.62% of the vote  

District 53B: Rick Hansen - WIN with 54.35% of the vote

District 56A: Robert Bierman - WIN with 60.02% of the vote  

District 61A: Frank Hornstein - WIN with 98.75% of the vote   

District 61B: Jamie Long - WIN with 98.89% of the vote

District 63A: Samantha Sencer-Mura - WIN with 90.15% of the vote

District 64B: Dave Pinto - WIN with 82.62% of the vote

District 65B: Maria Isa Perez-Hedges - WIN with 78.54% of the vote