Minnesota State Senate District 56

Tue, Nov 3 · Represented by Erin Maye Quade Democratic · Member list as of Oct 28

Raymond David PetersenRepublican

No published poll names both candidates.Last result · 2022 general: Erin Maye Quade (D) 56.7, Jim Bean (R) 43.3

Erin Maye QuadeDemocratic · Incumbent4 years since first win

Last election: Erin Maye Quade (Democratic) won by 13.4 points, 2022
On the 2026 ballot: 2 candidates

All State Senate districts

Side by side

Left column: PetersenRight column: Quade

Donor-based spectrum: LiberalCentristConservativeQuadeNo published score for Petersen
Races: None listed; Won 2 of 2
Years since first win: Not available; 4

How these are counted

The spectrum is a published research score, not our rating. How this works. Wins and losses count the races in our results files, the same as each profile.

More about this race

Candidates on the ballot

Erin Maye QuadeIncumbentDemocratic
Raymond David PetersenRepublican

Source: electionresultsfiles.sos.mn.gov, dated Oct 28

All State Senate districts

Democratic
Republican
Independent
Nonpartisan
More than one party
No member listed

Map settings

Color

PartyParty + pattern

Vote in Minnesota

Trouble voting? Election Protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE. A nonpartisan coalition of civil-rights and voting-rights groups, not a government service. 866ourvote.org

Official results for Minnesota

History (17 elections for this seat)

Votes for listed candidates: 39,326
Election day: November 8, 2022
District map: Older district map (2022)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 2022, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticErin Maye QuadeWon	Democratic	22,28156.7%	56.7%
RepublicanJim Bean	Republican	17,00743.3%	43.3%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	380.1%	0.1%

Votes for listed candidates: 49,425
Election day: November 3, 2020
District map: Older district map (2012 to 2021)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 2020, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticLindsey PortWon	Democratic	26,19753.0%	53.0%
RepublicanDan Hall(incumbent)	Republican	23,17346.9%	46.9%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	550.1%	0.1%

Votes for listed candidates: 42,857
Election day: November 8, 2016
District map: Older district map (2012 to 2021)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 2016, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDan HallWon(incumbent)	Republican	23,60255.1%	55.1%
DemocraticPhillip M. Sterner	Democratic	19,17844.8%	44.8%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	770.2%	0.2%

Votes for listed candidates: 41,224
Election day: November 6, 2012
District map: Older district map (2012 to 2021)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 2012, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDan HallWon(incumbent)	Republican	22,22653.9%	53.9%
DemocraticLeon Thurman	Democratic	18,92245.9%	45.9%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	760.2%	0.2%

Votes for listed candidates: 38,549
Election day: November 2, 2010
District map: Older district map (2002 to 2011)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 2010, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanTed LillieWon	Republican	19,85051.5%	51.5%
DemocraticKathy Saltzman(incumbent)	Democratic	18,66848.4%	48.4%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	310.1%	0.1%

Votes for listed candidates: 37,647
Election day: November 7, 2006
District map: Older district map (2002 to 2011)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 2006, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticKathy SaltzmanWon	Democratic	19,93653.0%	53.0%
RepublicanBrian Leclair(incumbent)	Republican	17,71147.0%	47.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 37,257
Election day: November 5, 2002
District map: Older district map (2002 to 2011)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 2002, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanBrian LeclairWon	Republican	19,85753.3%	53.3%
DemocraticLen Price(incumbent)	Democratic	17,40046.7%	46.7%

Votes for listed candidates: 50,021
Election day: November 7, 2000
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 2000, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanMichele BachmannWon	Republican	25,83351.6%	51.6%
DemocraticTed Thompson	Democratic	21,47442.9%	42.9%
OtherLyno Sullivan	Other	2,7145.4%	5.4%

Votes for listed candidates: 40,483
Election day: November 5, 1996
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 1996, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanGary LaidigWon(incumbent)	Republican	23,08657.0%	57.0%
DemocraticJohn Dooley	Democratic	17,39743.0%	43.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 37,594
Election day: November 3, 1992
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 1992, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanGary LaidigWon(incumbent)	Republican	21,54557.3%	57.3%
DemocraticLou Fuller	Democratic	16,04942.7%	42.7%

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 1990, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticLen PriceWon	Democratic	19,02360.3%	60.3%
RepublicanEric Sandrock	Republican	12,54339.7%	39.7%

Votes for listed candidates: 18,519
Election day: November 4, 1986
District map: Older district map (1982 to 1991)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 1986, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticA. W. DiessnerWon(incumbent)	Democratic	11,93764.5%	64.5%
RepublicanJohn Herman	Republican	6,58235.5%	35.5%

Votes for listed candidates: 25,193
Election day: November 2, 1982
District map: Older district map (1982 to 1991)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 1982, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticA. William DiessnerWon	Democratic	15,09959.9%	59.9%
RepublicanPaul Jahnke	Republican	10,09440.1%	40.1%

Votes for listed candidates: 16,681
Election day: November 4, 1980
District map: Older district map (1972 to 1981)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 1980, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticRobert J. TennesseenWon(incumbent)	Democratic	12,74276.4%	76.4%
RepublicanSamuel A. Faulk	Republican	3,93923.6%	23.6%

Votes for listed candidates: 17,083
Election day: November 2, 1976
District map: Older district map (1972 to 1981)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 1976, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticRobert J. TennesseenWon(incumbent)	Democratic	12,90375.5%	75.5%
RepublicanSamuel A. Faulk	Republican	4,18024.5%	24.5%

Votes for listed candidates: 17,622
Election day: November 7, 1972
District map: Older district map (1972 to 1981)

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 1972, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
NonpartisanRobert J. TennesseenWon(incumbent)	Other	11,05762.8%	62.8%
NonpartisanHarold Payne	Other	6,56537.3%	37.3%

Minnesota Senate District 56, 1970 to 2022, 1970, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
NonpartisanW. B. DoslandWon(incumbent)	Other	14,213100.0%	100.0%

1970 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: 2022.

Download and cite

CC BY 4.0 State data (JSON)Share image (PNG)

Cite this page

Election Wrld. (2026). Minnesota State Senate District 56, election results 1970 to 2022. https://www.electionwrld.com/mn/senate/56. Retrieved October 31, 2026.

Embed this seat

<iframe src="https://www.electionwrld.com/embed/mn/senate/56" title="Minnesota Senate District 56" width="100%" height="400" style="border:0;max-width:640px" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:13px">Data: <a href="https://www.electionwrld.com">Election Wrld</a>, CC BY 4.0</p>

Paste this into any web page. It shows the seat, its last result and the next election.

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; 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/sldu:56

DataState data (JSON)Sources: State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse), DIME (ODC-BY)Data as of Oct 28, 2026