Minnesota State House District 51A
Tue, Nov 3 · Represented by Mike Howard Democratic · Member list as of Oct 28
Mike HowardDemocratic · Incumbent4 years since first winFrank PafkoRepublican
No published poll names both candidates.Last result · 2024 general: Mike Howard (D) 73.4, Jeffrey Thompson (R) 26.3
- Last election
- Mike Howard (Democratic) won by 47.1 points, 2024
- On the 2026 ballot
- 2 candidates
Side by side
Left column: HowardRight column: Pafko
- Years since first win
- 4
- Not available
How these are counted
More about this race
Candidates on the ballot
- Mike HowardIncumbentDemocratic
- Frank PafkoRepublican
Source: electionresultsfiles.sos.mn.gov, dated Oct 28
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- Democratic
- Republican
- Independent
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- More than one party
- No member listed
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Official results for Minnesota
History (29 elections for this seat)
- Votes for listed candidates
- 21,024
- Election day
- November 5, 2024
- District map
- Older district map (2022 to 2024)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2024, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticMike HowardWonName as filed: Michael Howard Democratic 15,44073.4% RepublicanJeffrey Thompson Republican 5,53326.3% Scattered write-ins Write-in 510.2% - Votes for listed candidates
- 16,888
- Election day
- November 8, 2022
- District map
- Older district map (2022)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2022, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticMike HowardWon(incumbent)Name as filed: Michael Howard Democratic 12,52474.2% RepublicanRyan Wiskerchen Republican 4,33925.7% Scattered write-ins Write-in 250.1% - Votes for listed candidates
- 23,583
- Election day
- November 3, 2020
- District map
- Older district map (2012 to 2021)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2020, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticSandra MasinWon(incumbent) Democratic 14,56661.8% RepublicanPatrick J. Zurick Republican 8,97638.1% Scattered write-ins Write-in 410.2% - Votes for listed candidates
- 19,331
- Election day
- November 6, 2018
- District map
- Older district map (2012 to 2021)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2018, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticSandra MasinWon(incumbent) Democratic 11,87561.4% RepublicanJim Kiner Republican 7,44638.5% Scattered write-ins Write-in 100.1% - Votes for listed candidates
- 20,882
- Election day
- November 8, 2016
- District map
- Older district map (2012 to 2021)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2016, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticSandra MasinWon(incumbent) Democratic 12,03657.6% RepublicanBrad Gerten Republican 8,76942.0% Scattered write-ins Write-in 770.4% - Votes for listed candidates
- 14,110
- Election day
- November 4, 2014
- District map
- Older district map (2012 to 2021)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2014, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticSandra MasinWon(incumbent) Democratic 7,26251.5% RepublicanAndrea Todd-Harlin Republican 6,82148.3% Scattered write-ins Write-in 270.2% - Votes for listed candidates
- 21,127
- Election day
- November 6, 2012
- District map
- Older district map (2012 to 2021)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2012, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticSandra A. MasinWon Democratic 11,72455.5% RepublicanDiane Anderson(incumbent) Republican 9,35444.3% Scattered write-ins Write-in 490.2% - Votes for listed candidates
- 18,383
- Election day
- November 2, 2010
- District map
- Older district map (2002 to 2011)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2010, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanTim SandersWon(incumbent) Republican 10,27055.9% DemocraticZak Chlebeck Democratic 8,09744.0% Scattered write-ins Write-in 160.1% - Votes for listed candidates
- 24,658
- Election day
- November 4, 2008
- District map
- Older district map (2002 to 2011)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2008, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanTim SandersWon Republican 11,81347.9% DemocraticShawn Hamilton Democratic 10,67943.3% IndependentDaniel William Sanders Independent 2,1668.8% - Votes for listed candidates
- 17,619
- Election day
- November 7, 2006
- District map
- Older district map (2002 to 2011)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2006, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticScott KranzWon Democratic 9,34453.0% RepublicanBrad Biers Republican 8,27547.0% - Votes for listed candidates
- 22,575
- Election day
- November 2, 2004
- District map
- Older district map (2002 to 2011)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2004, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanAndy WesterbergWon(incumbent) Republican 12,46855.2% DemocraticKendra Brodin Democratic 10,10744.8% - Votes for listed candidates
- 17,031
- Election day
- November 5, 2002
- District map
- Older district map (2002 to 2011)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2002, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanAndy WesterbergWon(incumbent) Republican 9,32154.7% DemocraticChad T. Hobot Democratic 7,71045.3% - Votes for listed candidates
- 17,808
- Election day
- November 7, 2000
- District map
- Older district map (1992 to 2001)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 2000, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanAndy WesterbergWon(incumbent) Republican 8,94350.2% DemocraticChad T. Hobot Democratic 8,86549.8% - Votes for listed candidates
- 14,795
- Election day
- November 3, 1998
- District map
- Older district map (1992 to 2001)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1998, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanAndy WesterbergWon Republican 7,80952.8% DemocraticMike Delmont(incumbent) Democratic 6,98647.2% - Votes for listed candidates
- 14,056
- Election day
- November 5, 1996
- District map
- Older district map (1992 to 2001)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1996, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticMike DelmontWon(incumbent) Democratic 7,47053.1% RepublicanAndy Westerberg Republican 6,58646.9% - Votes for listed candidates
- 10,158
- Election day
- November 8, 1994
- District map
- Older district map (1992 to 2001)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1994, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticMike DelmontWon(incumbent) Democratic 5,21751.4% RepublicanMike Gundlach Republican 4,94148.6% - Votes for listed candidates
- 14,873
- Election day
- November 3, 1992
- District map
- Older district map (1992 to 2001)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1992, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticMike DelmontWon Democratic 8,92760.0% RepublicanMike Gundlach Republican 5,94640.0% - Votes for listed candidates
- 12,078
- Election day
- November 6, 1990
- District map
- Older district map (1982 to 1991)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1990, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticAlice JohnsonWon(incumbent) Democratic 7,38961.2% RepublicanMarty Gavic Republican 4,68938.8% - Votes for listed candidates
- 14,844
- Election day
- November 8, 1988
- District map
- Older district map (1982 to 1991)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1988, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticAlice JohnsonWon(incumbent) Democratic 7,62651.4% RepublicanGordon Backlund Republican 7,21848.6% - Votes for listed candidates
- 9,738
- Election day
- November 4, 1986
- District map
- Older district map (1982 to 1991)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1986, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticAlice JohnsonWon Democratic 4,93550.7% RepublicanGordon Backlund(incumbent) Republican 4,80349.3% - Votes for listed candidates
- 14,574
- Election day
- November 6, 1984
- District map
- Older district map (1982 to 1991)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1984, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanGordon BacklundWon Republican 7,31450.2% DemocraticSharon Coleman(incumbent) Democratic 7,26049.8% - Votes for listed candidates
- 12,485
- Election day
- November 2, 1982
- District map
- Older district map (1982 to 1991)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1982, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share DemocraticSharon ColemanWon Democratic 6,99656.0% RepublicanGordon Backlund Republican 5,48944.0% - Votes for listed candidates
- 18,210
- Election day
- November 4, 1980
- District map
- Older district map (1972 to 1981)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1980, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanGary LaidigWon(incumbent) Republican 12,51668.7% DemocraticArthur D. Forsberg Democratic 5,69431.3% - Votes for listed candidates
- 15,110
- Election day
- November 7, 1978
- District map
- Older district map (1972 to 1981)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1978, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanGary LaidigWon(incumbent) Republican 10,37068.6% DemocraticDaniel Grogan Democratic 4,74031.4% - Votes for listed candidates
- 17,049
- Election day
- November 2, 1976
- District map
- Older district map (1972 to 1981)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1976, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanGary LaidigWon(incumbent) Republican 9,78257.4% DemocraticDavid Doyscher Democratic 7,26742.6% - Votes for listed candidates
- 10,601
- Election day
- November 4, 1974
- District map
- Older district map (1972 to 1981)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1974, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share RepublicanGary LaidigWon(incumbent) Republican 6,25559.0% DemocraticOpal Petersen Democratic 4,34641.0% - Votes for listed candidates
- 12,617
- Election day
- November 7, 1972
- District map
- Older district map (1972 to 1981)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1972, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share NonpartisanGary LaidigWon Other 6,40050.7% NonpartisanDavid A. Bieging Other 6,21749.3% - Votes for listed candidates
- 8,248
- Election day
- November 3, 1970
- District map
- Older district map (1966 to 1971)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1970, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share NonpartisanJack KleinbaumWon(incumbent) Other 6,00172.8% NonpartisanEugene Klein Other 2,24727.2% - Votes for listed candidates
- 8,126
- Election day
- November 5, 1968
- District map
- Older district map (1966 to 1971)
Minnesota House of Representatives District 51A, 1968 to 2024, 1968, every candidate Candidate Party Votes and share Share NonpartisanJack KleinbaumWon(incumbent) Other 8,126100.0%
- 2024: MEDSL 2024 official precinct returns (individual_states zips), retrieved Oct 28, 2026. Compiled by MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL) from official returns; not an official source
- 1968 to 2022: State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse), retrieved Oct 28, 2026. Compiled by Carl Klarner (Harvard Dataverse) from official returns; not an official source
Last contest in this district on file: 2024.
Download and cite
Cite this page
Election Wrld. (2026). Minnesota State House District 51A, election results 1968 to 2024. https://www.electionwrld.com/mn/house/51a. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
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Sources
Sources: Census TIGERweb Legislative MapServer (120th CDs layer 0, 119th CDs layer 4, 2026 SLD upper layer 1 and lower layer 2) (US Census Bureau, public domain), retrieved Oct 28, 2026; Open Civic Data division identifiers (census_autogenerated us_sldl/us_sldu and openstates state files); also (sld-recent.json): Open Civic Data division identifiers (country-us) (CC0 (repository); also (sld-recent.json): CC0 1.0), retrieved Oct 28, 2026; Open States people (current) CSVs (CC0-1.0 (Open States people data)), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by Open States volunteers and staff (rosters from state legislature sites) from official returns, not an official source; MEDSL 2024 official precinct returns (individual_states zips) (Not stated in the GitHub repository (an earlier label said "MIT (repo)", which the repository does not support). MEDSL's Harvard Dataverse records are CC0 1.0, but these GitHub files were not checksum-matched to the Dataverse files, so CC0 is not claimed for them.), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL) from official returns, not an official source; State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse) (CC0 1.0), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by Carl Klarner (Harvard Dataverse) from official returns, not an official source.
District id: ocd-division/country:us/state:mn/sldl:51a
DataState data (JSON)Sources: State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse), MEDSL 2024 official precinct returnsData as of Oct 28, 2026