Result
Sen. Gene Dornink (R-Brownsdale) won a third term in Minnesota Senate District 23 on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Democrat Angie Hanson with 55% of the vote. Unofficial race results show Dornink with 19,684 votes to Hanson’s 16,090, or 44.9%.
Dornink first won the Senate in 2020, unseating Democrat Dan Sparks four years after losing to him, and took 60.7% in the newly drawn District 23 in 2022. He was unopposed in the Aug. 11 Republican primary, while Hanson won the Democratic primary with 86.4% over Jennifer Ney. His new term begins when the Legislature convenes Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2027.
Candidates and Platforms
Dornink, a carpenter and small-business owner who grew up on a family dairy farm, is the Republican lead on the Senate Labor Committee. In a February guest column, he named bonding for district wastewater, drinking water and Highway 218 corridor utility projects as a priority, along with investigating fraud in state programs and easing unfunded mandates on local governments. He also cosponsored SF 3832, a new law that lets dairy farms that began producing milk since 2022 qualify for state Dairy Assistance, Investment, Relief Initiative grants.
Hanson, an Albert Lea High School graduate, is a special education teacher. She campaigned on lowering health care costs and keeping rural care close to home, citing her work with Save Our Hospital, along with full state funding for public schools and affordable property taxes.
District and Chamber
District 23 covers southern Steele County, most of Freeborn and Mower counties and portions of Waseca and Faribault counties. Statewide, the DFL holds a 39-28 advantage in the Senate, up from its 34-33 majority, with two Senate recounts expected.
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