It was an unprecedented year in Minnesota politics.
One Minnesotan ran for vice president, another mounted a primary campaign against the sitting president. The burglary arrest of a state senator upended the 2024 legislative session and Minnesota Democrats lost their trifecta of control over state government.
Here’s a look at the top 10 political stories of the year in Minnesota.
Governor Tim Walz’s candidacy for vice president
Governor Tim Walz takes the stage at a rally on the waterfront in Erie, Pennsylvania, in front of approximately 2,000 supporters on September 5. (Glen Stubbe)
Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips challenges Biden
Dean Phillips takes the stage at his election night after a stronger-than-expected performance in the New Hampshire primary on January 23. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips was among the first Democrats in the country to call for Biden to step down. The congressman representing Minnesota’s Third District had repeatedly warned that Biden was too old and unpopular to win re-election. But the Democrats weren’t listening, so Phillips went up a provocative primary campaign against the president.
Phillips challenged Biden in Democratic primary elections in more than a dozen states earlier this year. His best performance came to New Hampshirewhere he obtained almost 20% of the votes. But his campaign failed elsewhere, including in his home state. He ended his long presidential campaign in March and supported Biden.
Several months later, other Democrats came around to what Phillips had been saying for two years. They called on Biden to step down after seeing him struggle in his first debate against Trump. After being ostracized by other Democrats, Phillips was justified.