Glaser Flips Minnesota Senate District 24
Rochester teacher Simon Glaser, a DFL newcomer, won the seat, which had been held by the party now losing it since 2010.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Elections
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Simon Glaser, a Rochester Public Schools teacher and DFL member, won Minnesota Senate District 24 in the November 2026 general election, defeating Republican Nels Pierson with 51% of the vote. The win flips the seat for the first time since 2010.
Why it matters
The result shifts control of a Minnesota Senate seat after more than a decade and brings a first-time candidate with local teachers' union experience into the state Capitol. Glaser has said he hopes to work across the aisle with Republicans on healthcare.
Glaser received 51% of the vote over Republican Nels Pierson in the November 2026 general election. The seat was last held by the party now losing it in 2010, and the legislative session begins January 12, 2027.
The players
Simon Glaser
A DFL member and English teacher at John Marshall High School in Rochester, Glaser is a political newcomer who previously led the local teacher's union.
Nels Pierson
The Republican candidate who lost the Senate District 24 race to Glaser in the November 2026 general election.
The details
Glaser is an English teacher at John Marshall High School in Rochester and has led the local teacher's union. He will take an unpaid leave of absence from teaching while serving at the Capitol in St. Paul.
Timeline
2010: The seat last changed hands, with the party now losing it holding it at the time.
November 2026: Glaser wins Senate District 24 in the general election.
January 12, 2027: The Minnesota legislative session begins.
Political Context
The win ends a stretch dating to 2010 when Senate District 24 was held by the party now losing it. Republican Nels Pierson's defeat marks a change in the district's partisan control after more than a decade.
Glaser will take an unpaid leave of absence from teaching while serving at the Capitol, which affects his income and the classroom he leaves behind. Residents of Senate District 24 will have a new state senator representing them starting with the January 12, 2027 session.
The takeaway
Electoral shifts in a single legislative seat can reshape which party controls it after many years, and a first-time candidate from a public-school background can win a district that had leaned the other way. Readers following state politics may want to watch how Glaser approaches healthcare negotiations across party lines once the session starts.
What happens next
The Minnesota legislative session begins January 12, 2027, when Glaser will begin his service at the Capitol.
Further reading
Explore more on Elections coverage across Minnesota.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KTTC.
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