A Minnesota state House race decided by just 14 votes has come under scrutiny after 21 ballots were found to be missing in Shakopee. The Democrat incumbent, Brad Tabke, was declared the winner over Republican Aaron Paul, flipping the seat in a race critical to party control of the state House.
Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar reported that the ballots were likely discarded during the processing of absentee votes. The discovery came during an audit, where officials noticed a discrepancy between the number of voters who checked in and the final ballot count.
Republicans have filed an election contest, calling for a new vote in District 54A. “Today’s news confirms why we must seek an election contest,” said House Republican Speaker-designate Lisa Demuth. “With 20 ballots missing, it’s impossible to declare a legitimate winner.”
Election night chaos added to the controversy. Shakopee election officials faced delays in processing absentee ballots, eventually turning the task over to Scott County. Despite initial assurances that totals matched, a later audit revealed the missing ballots.
This race is one of two state House contests in Minnesota that flipped from Republican to Democrat leads overnight. Paul initially led by 360 votes, but late-night updates left him trailing by 14 votes.
The investigation remains ongoing, but Republicans argue that voter confidence has been undermined. With the state House evenly split, the outcome of this race could determine the balance of power in Minnesota’s legislature.
