Republican Minnesota Senate President and Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach resigned her Senate seat Friday, putting that chamber up for grabs of party control in November’s General Election.

With her absence, the Senate is now equally divided: 33 Republicans and 33 Democrats. The Legislature adjourned Monday, so there are no immediate consequences.

But come November, when the governor’s seat and the entire state House also are on the ballot, Fischbach’s Paynesville-based seat will also be on the ballot in a special election. That will be the only Senate seat up.

Fischbach’s 13th District is generally thought of as reliably Republican, but Fischbach, who has held the seat for 22 years, said she will not run in the special election. Democrats have already begun recruiting candidates.

Fischbach should have resigned months ago, according to a lawsuit that now becomes irrelevant that alleged she couldn’t hold her Senate seat and the lieutenant governor seat. That lawsuit, led by Democrats, was withdrawn Friday, with plaintiffs declaring victory.

Fischbach’s decision to resign, as well as her decision not to run in a special election, are both reversals of previous statements she has made.

Fischbach also formally took the oath of office for lieutenant governor Friday, ending a legal-political mini-series that began over the winter when multiple women accused then-U.S. Sen. Al Franken of sexually inappropriate behavior.

FROM #METOO TO LT. GOV.

Here’s the brief history:

Franken, a Democrat, resigned in January. Dayton, a Democrat, appointed his lieutenant governor, Tina Smith, also a Democrat, to replace Franken. That appointment power, hallowed in the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Senate rules and Minnesota statutes, was never questioned.

Then things got sticky. According to the state Constitution and rules of succession, Fischbach, as the presiding member of the state Senate, automatically ascended to the lieutenant governorship. That she was a Republican serving under a Democratic governor was odd, but Dayton dealt with it by not assigning her any major duties.

However, Fischbach refused to take the oath of office, calling herself “acting lieutenant governor,” and she refused to give up her Senate seat.

LAWSUITS CHALLENGE FISCHBACH

Her attempt to hold both offices violated the state Constitution, Democrats alleged.

An initial lawsuit before the Legislature convened was premature, a judge ruled. A second lawsuit, by constituent Destiny Dusosky, was scheduled for arguments in Ramsey County District Court in 10 days. The lawsuit sought to have Fischbach removed from the Senate.

In the end, that’s what happened, said attorney Charles Nauen, who represented Dusosky: “From day one, we have said that Lieutenant Governor Fischbach cannot continue to hold the office of state senator. Her resignation is a complete victory for Destiny Dusosky and for the Minnesota Constitution.”

WHY RESIGN NOW?

Fischbach and Republicans did not concede the point Friday.

Fischbach had steadfastly said in the past that she believed she could hold both offices and that if she were somehow forced to resign from the Senate, she would run in a special election to retake the seat.

On Friday, a reporter asked: “What’s changed?”

Fischbach responded: “The end of session. Because I felt that if those special elections were held during session that the people of Senate District 13 needed a representative.”

But the lawsuit also was a factor, she said.

“That was one of the big decisions: Do we want this lawsuit to drag on?” she said. “This will end the lawsuit.”

Fischbach declined to say whether she would entertain a chance to run as lieutenant governor on the ticket of a Republican gubernatorial candidate.

DID ANY OF IT MATTER?

In the end, it’s unclear if the drama mattered, given what happened at the Legislature.

Throughout the session, many Capitol observers were keenly watching for 34-33 votes in the Senate, because in theory such votes could be nullified if Fischbach cast the tiebreaking vote and was later deemed to be invalidly holding her Senate seat.

In fact, she did cast several such votes. On Saturday night, Democrats attempted to reject what became the sweeping 990-page bill that contained many of the top priorities of both parties, as well as a number of controversial items. That attempt to reject the bill failed along party lines, 33-34, with Fischbach voting negative, with the Republicans. That vote might not have mattered, since a 33-33 tie would likely have failed to reject the bill. A short time later, the actual bill was passed by the body by a different margin, 35-32, with Fischbach curiously voting against it.

On Sunday night, she also cast a tiebreaking vote to pass the Republican-led tax bill, which passed 34-33.

But whatever. Dayton vetoed both bills.

OTHER RACES COULD MATTER

Smith’s U.S. Senate seat will be on the Nov. 6 ballot in a special election to determine who will serve out the remaining two years of the 6-year term. Smith is running and faces a primary challenge from attorney Richard Painter; state Sen. Karin Housley of St. Mary’s Point is running as a Republican.

Should Housley prevail, that would also force a special election in her Washington County district.

Additionally, in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, state Sen. Carla Nelson, a Republican who hails from a swing district in Rochester, is among those running. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat who is running for governor. Should Nelson prevail, that would force a special election for her state Senate seat.

The stakes are high in November regardless. Dayton isn’t seeking another term. Both U.S. Senate seats and all eight U.S. House seats are on the ballot, as are other statewide offices, including secretary of state, state auditor and attorney general. And every member of the state House, currently under solid Republican control, will be on the ballot.