By Briana Bierschbach, Mark Zdechlik

MPR News/90.1 FM

In a vote with national implications, Democrat Dean Phillips Tuesday defeated GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen, flipping a key seat for Democrats seeking control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Phillips, a businessman whose family founded a local distillery had consistently led Paulsen in polling across Minnesota’s 3rd District, which covers the Twin Cities’ western suburbs.

Paulsen, who was seeking a sixth term, won re-election two years ago even though Democrat Hillary Clinton won his district by roughly 10 points. Democrats, though, hammered him this cycle by tying him to President Donald Trump, who swooped in with a last-minute endorsement of Paulsen.

“I know we came up a little short tonight. Tonight voters have chosen a new voice to lead them in Congress”, Paulsen said in a concession speech to supporters just after 9 p.m. Tuesday.

The Paulsen-Phillips race was among several Minnesota campaigns closely watched around the country.

Democrats must pick up 23 Republican-held seats across the nation Tuesday to win back the majority in the U.S. House — and at least four of the most competitive races in the nation are in Minnesota.

In the 2nd District, which covers the metro area south of the Twin Cities, Republican Rep. Jason Lewis narrowly won his first race two years ago against businesswoman and Democrat Angie Craig. She is back for a rematch this cycle in a race that’s attracted millions of dollars in outside spending. Voters in the 2nd District supported Trump by less than 2 percentage points in 2016.

But Democratic retirements in two rural Minnesota districts have given national Republicans some of their best chances to pick up seats.

In the northeastern 8th District, former state Rep. Joe Radinovich, a Democrat, and Republican county commissioner Pete Stauber are in a heated race. The seat is currently held by DFL Rep. Rick Nolan, who is retiring in January.

And in the southern 1st District, DFL Rep. Tim Walz left his seat to run for governor. Republican candidate Jim Hagedorn, who came within one percentage point of defeating Walz two years ago, is making his third run at the seat. He’s being challenged by Democrat Dan Feehan, an Iraq War veteran and former official in the Obama administration.

Candidates and groups from both parties have spent upwards of $70 million to flood Minnesota’s airwaves in just these four districts, including for the Phillips-Paulsen race.

Minnesota also made a little bit more history Tuesday: State Rep. Ilhan Omar, DFL-Minneapolis, is headed to Washington, D.C.

Omar on Tuesday easily defeated GOP challenger Jennifer Zielinski to capture the seat held by U.S. House Rep. Keith Ellison, who is retiring.

Omar will be the first Somali-American elected to Congress.

“Immigrants promised the land of opportunity are too often met with bigotry and hate,” Omar told supporters following her victory. “I could not stand by on the sidelines and watch those promises go unkept.”

Also winning re-election Tuesday: 6th District GOP U.S. House Rep. Tom Emmer and 4th District DFL U.S. House Rep. Betty McCollum.