Joe McDonald
Minnesota State Representative, District 29A since 2010. Ran in 9 elections between 2010 and 2024, winning 9. Re-elected in 2026. Next on the ballot in 2028.
Minnesota State Representative, District 29ABorn 1966Photographer
- In office
- 16 yrs
- Since 2010
- Bills became law
- 0
- 35 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 0.0%
- Chamber median 0.0%
- With party
- 99%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +35.0
- Won 2026
- Next election
- 2028
- Nov 7, 2028
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Legacy Finance · co-chair
- Children and Families Finance and Policy
- Elections Finance and Government Operations
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
No bills in this list for the 2025–2026 session.
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where McDonald sits in the Minnesota House of Representatives
McDonald is closer to the center than 45% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Jeff Dotseth, Ben Bakeberg, Duane Quam
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:53 PM ET
With McDonald’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans99%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills13%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: McDonald’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | McDonald | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2026 | HF 1849: Term limits provided for governor and lieutenant governor, and constitutional amendment… | Yes | Yes | No | Failed 64–69 |
| May 17, 2026 | HF 5149: Law enforcement access to sensitive locations restricted, civil remedies established,… | No | No | Yes | Passed 67–63 |
| May 14, 2026 | HF 5140: Ownership, possession, and sale of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons and… | No | No | Yes | Failed 67–67 |
| Apr 16, 2026 | HF 5015: School safety plans enhanced, student discipline provisions modified, anonymous reporting… | Yes | Yes | No | Failed 63–68 |
| Apr 9, 2026 | HF 4907: Motor vehicle registration tax modified, and money transferred. | Yes | Yes | No | Failed 67–67 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time McDonald was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-29A | Won | R+35.0 | R+35.9 | −0.9 |
| 2024 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-29A | Won | R+41.6 | R+35.9 | +5.7 |
| 2022 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-29A | Won | R+41.5 | R+33.8 | +7.7 |
| 2020 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-29A | Won | R+40.7 | R+34.1 | +6.6 |
| 2018 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-29A | Won | R+35.8 | R+34.1 | +1.7 |
| 2016 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-29A | Won | R+39.4 | R+34.1 | +5.3 |
| 2014 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-29A | Won | — | — | — |
| 2014 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-29A (primary) | Won | — | — | — |
| 2012 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-29A | Won | R+24.0 | — | — |
| 2010 | Minnesota House of Representatives, HD-19B | Won | R+34.5 | — | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Minnesota Secretary of State (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $21.4K
- Spent
- $22.1K
- Cash
- $19.2K
Source: Minnesota Campaign Finance Board filings through Oct 19, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 3:53 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| McDonald, Joseph (Joe) House Committee State | Active |
Source: Minnesota Campaign Finance Board filings through Oct 19, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 3:53 AM ET
Seats McDonald has held
- Minnesota House of Representatives, District 29A · since 2012
- Minnesota House of Representatives, District 19B · since 2010
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who McDonald has run against
- Emily Dahlgren (D) · 2026 election, won
- Chris Brazelton (D) · 2024 election, won
- Sherri Leyda (D) · 2022 election, won
- Renee Cardarelle (D) · 2020 election, won
- Cortney Phillips (D) · 2016 election, won
- Susann Dye (D) · 2012 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Minnesota Secretary of State (unofficial)
How we know McDonald
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/6292245e-1db4-4a8e-ba2a-a036e7b68044
- Wikidata Q6211215
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET