It’s the day after the long-awaited election night. The campaigns are over. The victory offices are closed. And, the winners have been announced. One of those winners is State District 2A Representative Dave Hancock. With 52% of the vote, Hancock will reclaim his seat in the Minnesota House from DFL Representative Roger Erickson, who ousted Hancock from the House in 2012. In a statement on his website, Erickson said, “I am honored to have been elected as a state representative for district 2A. I want to express my appreciation for your support during my campaign. Working together, we can make a difference for rural Minnesota.”

Including Hancock’s win, 11 districts have been turned over from democratic hands, leaving the republicans with a House majority for this upcoming legislative session. But with DFL Mark Dayton winning the governor’s race, it looks like Minnesotans have chosen a divided government, which led to a shut down in 2011 where state employees were laid off and many services were suspended.

But Hancock is still optimistic for the upcoming year, and he says he will do his best to work across party lines and end gridlock. The legislature will convene in January, and Hancock says the republicans will meet Friday to discuss House leadership.

By — Lakeland PBS

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