Minnesota Senate District 37, covering Maple Grove and the surrounding suburbs, has flipped from red to blue. Democrat Kristy Janigo defeated Republican Brady Hoag on Tuesday, winning 27,835 votes, or 54 percent, to Hoag's 23,660 votes, or 45.90 percent, with all precincts reporting.
A Battleground Seat Changes Hands
The result was confirmed by the Associated Press, as reported by mprnews.org, which noted that Janigo beat Hoag to win Maple Grove's open Senate seat with 100 percent of precincts reporting. The seat had been held for nearly 40 years by Republican Warren Limmer, who chose not to seek re-election, according to CCX Media, which reported Limmer represented Maple Grove and the surrounding communities in the legislature for nearly four decades before stepping aside.
Janigo, after the win, said she was deeply honored to be the next state senator for District 37, according to hometownsource.com's account of the results. She had already built a local political profile, having served as a Maple Grove City Council Member At Large since winning her seat in the 2022 election, per the same source's earlier report on her campaign announcement.
Veteran and Advocate Turned Candidate
Janigo is a third-generation Army veteran who served post-9/11 in the North Dakota National Guard, the article notes. She has also worked as Hennepin County's Veterans Engagement Coordinator, a role in which she helps homeless and justice-involved veterans access veteran benefits, per the same account.
The district's competitiveness didn't come out of nowhere. Coverage from mprnews.org described District 37 as one of the year's most competitive races in part because the district backed Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and because Limmer's retirement opened the seat. Maple Grove itself was described by CCX Media as a growing community that was increasingly politically competitive, with both parties viewing the area's seats as potential battlegrounds.
Stakes for Statehouse Control
Money poured into the race accordingly. Party and outside spending in the district approached $700,000 in October, according to mprnews.org's live election coverage, which characterized Janigo's victory as an important flip for the DFL as the party clings to its one-seat majority in Minnesota's 67-member Senate. Before Tuesday's election, Democrats held that single-seat advantage over Republicans, per the same outlet's separate preview of what to expect on election day.
The Minnesota House told a different story. Republican Tom McKee, the mayor of Corcoran, defeated DFLer Darci Smith to win the neighboring District 37A House seat, keeping it in Republican hands after Republican Kristin Robbins previously held it, according to CCX Media's reporting. Heading into Tuesday, Democrats and Republicans were deadlocked at 67 seats each in the House, a tie that had formed after a Republican member vacated his seat once the legislative session adjourned, per mprnews.org.
Together, the Senate District 37 and House District 37A races were expected to play an outsized role in determining control of the state legislature. CCX Media reported it was still seeking an interview with Janigo as its story was published and planned to update coverage as more details emerge.
