2018Flipped from RepublicanFinal resultsIncumbent defeated
2018 election for Minnesota House District 5A
Minnesota House of Representatives · Minnesota
John Persell (D) won with 50.0% of the vote, defeating Matt Bliss (R) by 0.1 points, a seat Republicans won last time.
John PersellDemocrat · winner
50.0%8,454
Matt BlissRepublican · incumbent
49.9%8,443
16,904 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Oct 1, 2026, 6:17 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 2018
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Oct 1, 2026, 6:17 AM ET