Democratic leaders in the Minnesota Senate on Monday called on a GOP-endorsed candidate in central Minnesota to bow out of the race after reporting surfaced about a 2009 domestic-assault arrest. The demand instantly raised the temperature in a rural swing district where a single seat could realistically flip control of the state Senate.
What court records show
According to the Star Tribune, prosecutors charged Aaron Brutger in December 2009 with a felony count of domestic assault by strangulation and a misdemeanor count of domestic assault. His then-fiancée told deputies he had strangled her and slammed a car door on her legs.
As part of a plea agreement, Brutger later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and received a 90-day suspended sentence on the condition that he remain law-abiding for a year. Court filings show he was fined $50 and ordered to receive counseling, and he was later awarded full custody of his children. The Star Tribune also reports that party delegates endorsed Brutger at the Senate District 13 convention in February.
DFL leaders demand he step aside
Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy called Brutger’s history "deeply disturbing" and said a person with that kind of record "doesn’t belong in public office." DFL campaign coordinator Sen. Nick Frentz added that voters deserve candidates who can "keep calm in a crisis," according to the Star Tribune.
The report notes that local Republican officials have so far declined to extend comment. The chair of the district committee told the paper he would state after the story ran, leaving the party publicly on hold while pressure mounts.
Why it matters for control of the Senate
The open District 13 seat is now a high-stakes pickup target because DFLers control the upper chamber by a single vote, a 34-33 margin that makes every contest critical, as reported by CBS Minnesota. One defection in a district like this is the kind of thing that can keep party leaders up at night.
The incumbent, Sen. Jeff Howe, announced last fall he would not seek re-election, leaving the district, which includes Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Cold Spring, St. Joseph and Albany, open to a competitive contest, according to St. Cloud Live.
What’s next
The official candidate filing period opens Tuesday, May 19, and runs through June 2, 2026, the Minnesota Secretary of State notes. If multiple candidates file for the seat there will be a party primary on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.
That timeline gives local activists, delegates and county officials only a short window to decide whether to stand by their endorsed candidate or scramble to recruit someone new before the filing deadline slams shut.
