Recounts confirm GOP victories in 2 Minnesota House races

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Publicly funded recounts completed Wednesday in two Minnesota House races confirmed that Republicans flipped two heavily contested seats in northeastern Minnesota by razor-thin margins.

Rep.-elect Roger Skraba, of Ely, leads Democratic Rep. Rob Ecklund, of International Falls, in District 3A by 15 votes, matching his election night margin. Both candidates lost one vote in the recount..

Rep.-elect Natalie Zeleznikar, of Island lake, leads long-yime Democratic Rep. Mary Murphy, of Hermantown, in District 3B by 33 votes, a net decrease of two votes from election night. Zeleznikar picked up one vote while Murphy added three.

The State Canvassing Board meets next Thursday to review a dozen challenged ballots in District 3A, which aren’t enough to change the outcome, and to certify the recount results.

Even with those two close GOP victories, House Democrats came out of the election with a 70-64 majority. There were no recounts in any Minnesota Senate races. Democrats took control of the Senate with a 34-33 majority to give them full control of the Legislature for the first time in eight years.