Minnesota Democrats Boycott House Session Over Republican Quorum Dispute

A temporary GOP majority in Minnesota's state House has led to legal challenges and a legislative deadlock over quorum rules and leadership elections.

Minnesota House Democrats boycotted the opening session of the 2025 legislature to block Republicans from using a temporary 67-66 majority to elect a House speaker and organize committees.
The dispute centers on whether a quorum requires 67 members, as Republicans claim due to a vacant seat, or 68 members, as Democrats argue based on the 134-seat total.
Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, adjourned the session, stating that quorum requirements were not met, but Republicans proceeded with electing Lisa Demuth as speaker without Democratic participation.
Democrats and Simon have filed lawsuits with the Minnesota Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the Republican actions and affirm the 68-member quorum rule.
A special election scheduled for January 28 is expected to fill the vacant seat in a heavily Democratic district, potentially restoring balance to the evenly divided chamber.