KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: GOP should honor ‘power-sharing,’ DFL members should not get paid during boycott

KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: GOP should honor ‘power-sharing,’ DFL members should not get paid during boycott

KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: GOP should honor 'power-sharing,' DFL members should not get paid during boycott

Our exclusive new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll gives Democrats and Republicans results they can point to as they try to bolster their messaging during an unprecedented boycott of the Minnesota House session by Democrats. The poll also illustrates that the complicated mess in the House makes it difficult for many Minnesotans to decide who is right and who is wrong.

On the question of what constitutes a quorum to conduct business in the Minnesota House, 48% agree with the Minnesota Supreme Court decision that says 68 members of the full complement of 134 House members are needed to establish a quorum. Just 23% agree with the House Republican position that a quorum should be a majority of the currently elected body, which is now 133.

Republicans now have 67 members, while Democrats have 66. The imbalance occurred after a DFL candidate who won his race was later barred by a judge from taking office because he didn’t live in his district. Another 29% of respondents said they’re “not sure” what a quorum should be.

Given the court decision saying Republicans don’t have a quorum, a majority of those surveyed, 55%, say Republicans should get back to a power-sharing agreement with Democrats agreed upon when it appeared the House would be tied 67-67. A DFL candidate is likely to win the special election in the one remaining race, but that election likely won’t happen until March.

“I think the public believes the power-sharing is the best way for the House to function at this point,” says Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier. “The problem is when you put these opinions together, it’s hard to see a majority pointing emphatically in one direction regarding the statehouse stalemate.”

As for whether DFL members should get paid while they boycott the House sessions and won’t step foot in the Capitol, 49% say they should not get paid, while 32% say they should. Another 19% say they’re not sure.

“Show up for work or you don’t get paid,” Schier says, “Everybody faces that choice in their work life, so it’s very easy for the public to understand that message, and House Republicans, I think, realize that.” DFL leaders say their members are working every day in their districts meeting with constituents.

Among the reasons DFL House members are denying Republicans a quorum is because they don’t have a guarantee the GOP won’t try to vote to not allow Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, to take office. Tabke narrowly won his race by 14 votes, but 20 ballots were thrown away without being counted. Tabke prevailed in a recount and an election contest filed by Republicans. However, the court ruling in that case is advisory and the ultimate decision on whether he can take office is up to the House.

We also asked one question about the status of DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury who faces a burglary trial. Senate Republicans tried to force a vote to expel her last week but were unsuccessful. In our survey, 43% say a decision on expelling her should wait until after her trial in June, while 41% say she should be expelled now.

SurveyUSA interviewed 700 adults from the state of Minnesota 01/29/25 through 01/31/25. Of the adults, 620 were identified as being registered to vote and were asked the substantive questions which follow. This research was conducted online, using nonprobability sample of online adult panelists chosen randomly by Lucid Holdings LLC of New Orleans. The combined pool of survey respondents was weighted to US Census ACS targets for gender, age, race, education, and home ownership. Among the respondents, 34% identified as Democrats, 32% as Republicans and 29% as independents.