Political junkies have their eyes on the first battles of what’s shaping up to be the electoral war of 2018.

Voters will decide two special elections Monday for seats in the Minnesota Legislature after the unexpected resignations of lawmakers late last year amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Voters in Senate District 54 — which covers Hastings, Cottage Grove and South St. Paul — will pick someone to replace DFLer Dan Schoen. In southern Minnesota they’ll pick a successor for Republican Rep. Tony Cornish, who represented parts of Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Waseca and Watonwan counties.

A lot is at stake, especially in the state Senate where Republicans hold a slim majority that’s already at risk because of the ascension of Sen. Michelle Fischbach to lieutenant governor. That move came after Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Tina Smith to the U.S. Senate to replace Al Franken, who also resigned amid allegations of sexual impropriety.

Fischbach, who was president of the Senate, is fighting in court to keep her seat.

WELL-KNOWN CANDIDATES SQUARE OFF

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Republican Denny McNamara, who retired in 2016 after seven terms in the House, faces the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s Karla Bigham, who’s also served in the Legislature and sits on the Washington County Board of Commissioners. Emily Melligen, a nurse for the state Department of Corrections, is the Libertarian candidate.

The race has been hotly contested with attack fliers filling up mailboxes and ads interrupting TV broadcasts. Big money is being spent on the race, but exactly how much won’t be clear until after the votes are tallied and outside political groups report their spending.

McNamara and Bigham are trying to stay above the partisan fray. Both are touting their bipartisan bonafides on the campaign trail, which has included weeks of door knocking, evidenced by a flurry of social media posts featuring party leaders and well-known Minnesota politicos.

MCNAMARA TOUTS ‘HISTORY OF GETTING STUFF DONE’

McNamara says he’s coming out of retirement because residents of the district want somebody with a proven track record. He notes his past efforts to reach across the aisle including work on Dayton’s buffer bill, which wasn’t popular with many conservatives.

“I’m someone who has a history of getting stuff done and working together,” McNamara said. The Hastings resident and landscaping contractor also noted that he’s lived his entire life in the community.

“I think its important people can relate to their politicians,” McNamara said. “A good pair of tennis shoes and $20,000 should be all you need to run for the state Senate.”

BIGHAM SAYS CHANGE ‘HAS TO HAPPEN AT THE CAPITOL’

Bigham is campaigning on her experience serving constituents at the local level. As a county official, she says, she has a unique perspective on the challenges facing the district.

Topping her priorities is funding for schools, transportation and affordable housing. She says too much of a burden has been put on local property taxes.

“The issues facing families and businesses shouldn’t be partisan issues,” Bigham said. “I have the state and local experience to bring leadership that’s important to our residents and restore their trust in government.”

Bigham also wants a role in how leaders address sexual harassment in state government.

“I want to be part of the change that has to happen at the Capitol,” she said.

MELLIGEN TOUTS OUTSIDER ROLE

Libertarian candidate Melligen couldn’t be reached for comment at press time. In a statement announcing her candidacy, she said she was an outsider to politics but not to hard work.

“It’s high time we change our state body from ‘us vs. them’ into ‘we.’ I’m not beholden to any established party and can just vote for what’s right.”

RACE A HINT OF THINGS TO COME?

Democrats easily won the Senate district in 2016, but it also narrowly went for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. DFL leaders are hoping it will be part of a growing wave of Democratic elections heading into what is expected to be a raucous fall campaign season.

Republicans want to upend talk of a Democratic wave. To do so, they’ll also need to hold onto House District 23B, which represents communities near Mankato.

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Jennifer Carnahan, Republican Party chair, downplayed talk of a Democratic wave, saying on the campaign trail that many residents were still supportive of Republicans and Trump. She called the president an “asset” rather than a liability heading into Monday’s vote.

“We are very optimistic about the special election races,” Carnahan said. “We’ve put forward an intense and monumental ground effort in both races.”

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin said his party has also invested a lot of resources in both races and he also is hoping for a strong showing. But Martin and Carnahan both hedged on whether a win or a loss would have any far-reaching implications.

“In a special election anything can happen. All bets are off,” Martin said. “They’re the first battles of 2018 and I’d rather win than lose.”