A special general election was held for Minnesota House of Representatives District 30A on February 4, 2020. Paul Novotny (R) won the election with 1,983 votes, defeating Chad Hobot (D) who won 1,141 votes.
The special primary election was held on January 14, 2020. The filing deadline passed on December 10, 2019.
The special election was called after Nick Zerwas (R) left office due to a heart condition on December 6, 2019. Zerwas served from 2013 to 2019.
Republicans control the Minnesota State Senate by a 35-32 margin with no vacancies, while Democrats control the state House by a 75-59 margin with no vacancies. Minnesota has a divided government, and no political party holds a state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. Governor Tim Walz (D) was first elected in 2018.
As of February, 28 state legislative special elections have been scheduled in 13 states. Between 2011 and 2019, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.
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Additional reading:
How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
Minnesota House of Representatives District 30A
State legislative special elections, 2020
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