Pundits are watching a legislative race that’s flipped in the Saint Cloud area, to see whether Republicans retain control of the Minnesota Senate. According to new numbers, Democrat Aric Putnam has pulled in front of Republican incumbent Jerry Relph by a few hundred votes. Putnam says, “I’m not celebrating yet, but I do feel very optimistic…. Feel pretty confident that, if there are remaining votes, there’s a good chance it will go our way.”
Republican Senator Relph says 277 votes is a lot to overcome and at this point he’s not planning to request a recount, but if the Republican Party asked for one he’d go along with it.
Hamline University analyst David Schultz says even if Democrats win that Saint Cloud seat, it’s likely that Republicans would still keep their majority in the Minnesota Senate.