Residency lawsuit filed in District 40B could shift control of Minnesota House

A residency lawsuit in the District 40B race could shift the balance of power in the state House of Representatives.

In the district, which covers parts of Roseville and Shoreview, Republican Paul Wikstrom, who lost the election, filed a challenge against the winner’s residency.

Wikstrom alleges Democrat Curtis Johnson lives in Little Canada and then leased an apartment in the district in the spring but never actually lived there.

Minnesota law requires candidates for state House or Senate to live in the districts they want to represent for six months before the election.

Wikstrom now wants a special election to be called. Johnson’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss on Wednesday.

DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman says Johnson is a resident of the district and the contest filed by Republicans is without merit.

This comes as an election contest is in the process of being filed in District 54A when it was discovered that 20 ballots were thrown out by mistake when tabulating absentee ballots during the early voting period.

As it stands right now, the Minnesota House is currently tied at 67-67.