Stop the Steal rallygoer wins Minnesota Senate special election

Republican candidate Keri Heintzeman won a special election Tuesday to fill a vacancy in the Minnesota state Senate.

The vacancy in Minnesota’s Sixth Senate District was created when Sen. Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) resigned in March after he was arrested in an underage prostitution sting operation. He pleaded not guilty last week.

Heintzeman won a primary election on April 16 to advance to Tuesday’s general election race against DFL challenger and volunteer firefighter Denise Slipy. Although Heintzeman easily won the race with 60.3% of the vote, there was a reported 6.5-point shift toward the Democrats in the district. In November 2022, Eichorn won the seat with 63.5% of the vote.

BREAKING: Minnesota State Sen. Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) resigns after being charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution. The body was likely about to pass a bipartisan expulsion vote against him Thursday morning. pic.twitter.com/yIohlDwXet

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) March 20, 2025

Heintzeman attended President Donald Trump’s Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, 2021, and she served as a district director for Trump’s 2024 campaign in Minnesota. She has contended that she only attended the rally and left the area before the crowd violently attacked the U.S. Capitol.

Keri Heintzeman is also the wife of state Rep. Josh Heintzeman (R-Nisswa).

The DFL will continue to have a majority in the state Senate. However, Hentzeman’s victory will narrow it to just one seat (34-33).

Minnesota lawmakers are looking to pass a new state budget before the 2025 session adjourns on May 19. Bipartisan negotiations will need to take place as the Republicans control the speakership in the evenly split House of Representatives (67-67), while the DFL controls the Senate and governor’s mansion.