Minnesota Senate
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The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House district (e.g. Senate district 32 contains House districts 32A and 32B). The Minnesota Constitution forbids a House district to divide a Senate district. Before the 1960s, Senators were apportioned by county, resulting in the underrepresentation of those in cities.
Members are usually elected to four year terms except for when districts are redrawn after the census, when they are elected for a two year term. The state legislature is located in the Minnesota State Capitol building in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
On December 27, 2005, Tarryl Clark (DFL) won a Special Election in (15-St. Cloud). The seat was previously held by a Republican. Also, State Senator Sheila Kiscaden, a former Republican who had become an Independent in 2002, switched to the DFL Party in early 2006. As a result the Senate currently has 38 senators in the DFL caucus, and 29 members in the Republican caucus.
The Senate leadership for the 2003–2005 sessions included President of the Senate James Metzen (DFL-South St. Paul), Majority Leader Dean Johnson (DFL-Willmar), and Minority Leader Dick Day (R-Owatonna).
The entire Senate will be up for election again on 7 November, 2006.
| Affiliation | Members | |
| Democratic-Farmer Labor Party | 38 | |
| Republican Party | 29 | |
| Total | 67 | |