# Minnesota Senate, District 38

The Minnesota Senate, District 38, encompasses portions of Anoka and Ramsey counties in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. It has formerly included Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock, Watonwan, Chisago, Kanabec, Pine, and Dakota counties. Since January 2023, the district is represented by Heather Gustafson, a Democrat who defeated the long-term incumbent, Roger Chamberlain.

## District profile

The district stretches along the southern edge of Anoka, Ramsey, and Washington counties.
Due to redistricting, the 38th district has been moved around various counties in the southern part of the state. Redistricting by the Minnesota State Legislature became effective in 2012; after the 2020 census, the district was again redrawn.

### 2010

As of 2016, the population of the 38th district was split 49.8% male and 50.2% female, with 49.3% of men and 50.7% of women being eligible to vote. 96.2% of residents were at least a high school graduate (or equivalent), and 40.2% had earned a bachelor's degree or higher. 35.8% of the population is of German ancestry, the largest ethnic group in the district, followed by Norwegian descent at 14.3%. The unemployment rate was at 3.3%.
| Race | Population (2016 est.) | Share of total population |
| Total | 82,419 | 100% |
| One race | 80,351 | 97.5% |
| White | 75,719 | 91.9% |
| Black or African American | 1,506 | 1.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 462 | 0.6% |
| Asian | 2,346 | 2.8% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other races | 318 | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 2,068 | 2.5% |
| White and Black or African American | 415 | 0.5% |
| White and American Indian and Alaska Native | 510 | 0.6% |
| White and Asian | 715 | 0.9% |
| Black or African American and American Indian and Alaska Native | 11 | 0.0% |
| Ancestry | Population (2016 est.) | Share of total population |
| Total | 82,419 | 100% |
| German | 29,526 | 35.8% |
| Norwegian | 11,825 | 14.3% |
| Irish | 10,232 | 12.4% |
| Swedish | 8,956 | 10.9% |
| English | 5,691 | 6.9% |
| Polish | 5,371 | 6.5% |
| French (except Basque) | 3,891 | 4.7% |
| Italian | 2,988 | 3.6% |
| American | 2,945 | 3.6% |
| French Canadian | 1,589 | 1.9% |
| Dutch | 1,540 | 1.9% |
| Czech | 1,269 | 1.5% |
| Scottish | 1,148 | 1.4% |
| Danish | 1,050 | 1.3% |
| Russian | 661 | 0.8% |
| Subsaharan African | 530 | 0.6% |
| Scotch-Irish | 521 | 0.6% |
| Swiss | 423 | 0.5% |
| Welsh | 405 | 0.5% |
| Arab | 330 | 0.4% |
| Hungarian | 235 | 0.3% |
| Ukrainian | 212 | 0.3% |
| Lithuanian | 157 | 0.2% |
| Greek | 114 | 0.1% |
| Slovak | 101 | 0.1% |
| Portuguese | 47 | 0.1% |
| West Indian (excluding Hispanic origin groups) | 21 | 0.0% |

## List of senators

| Session | Senator | Party | Term start | Term end | Home | Counties represented |
| 14th | William D. Rice | Republican | January 2, 1872 | January 5, 1874 | Saint James | Cottonwood Jackson Martin Murray Nobles Pipestone Rock Watonwan |
| 15th | William D. Rice | Republican | January 2, 1872 | January 5, 1874 | Saint James | Cottonwood Jackson Martin Murray Nobles Pipestone Rock Watonwan |
| 16th | Everett P. Freeman | | January 6, 1874 | January 3, 1876 | Jackson | Cottonwood Jackson Martin Murray Nobles Pipestone Rock Watonwan |
| 17th | Everett P. Freeman | | January 6, 1874 | January 3, 1876 | Jackson | Cottonwood Jackson Martin Murray Nobles Pipestone Rock Watonwan |
| 18th | I.P. Durfee | Republican | January 7, 1878 | January 13, 1876 | Worthington | Cottonwood Jackson Martin Murray Nobles Pipestone Rock Watonwan |
| 19th | I.P. Durfee | Republican | January 7, 1878 | January 13, 1876 | Worthington | Cottonwood Jackson Martin Murray Nobles Pipestone Rock Watonwan |
| 20th | Christopher Smith | Republican | January 8, 1878 | January 6, 1879 | Windom | Cottonwood Jackson Martin Murray Nobles Pipestone Rock Watonwan |
| 21st | Alfred Perkins | | January 7, 1879 | January 1, 1883 | Windom | Cottonwood Jackson Martin Murray Nobles Pipestone Rock Watonwan |
| 22nd | Alfred Perkins | | January 7, 1879 | January 1, 1883 | Windom | Cottonwood Jackson Martin Murray Nobles Pipestone Rock Watonwan |
| 23rd | John Shaleen | Republican | January 2, 1883 | January 3, 1887 | Lindstrom | Chisago Kanabec Pine |
| 24th | John Shaleen | Republican | January 2, 1883 | January 3, 1887 | Lindstrom | Chisago Kanabec Pine |
| 25th | Otto Wallmark | Republican | January 4, 1887 | January 5, 1891 | Chisago | Chisago Kanabec Pine |
| 26th | Otto Wallmark | Republican | January 4, 1887 | January 5, 1891 | Chisago | Chisago Kanabec Pine |
| 27th | Alcinus Young Eaton | Republican | January 6, 1891 | January 7, 1895 | Buffalo | Sherburne Wright |
| 28th | Alcinus Young Eaton | Republican | January 6, 1891 | January 7, 1895 | Buffalo | Sherburne Wright |
| 29th | William Edgar Culkin | Republican | January 8, 1895 | January 2, 1899 | Buffalo | Sherburne Wright |
| 30th | William Edgar Culkin | Republican | January 8, 1895 | January 2, 1899 | Buffalo | Sherburne Wright |
| 31st | John T. McGowan | Democratic | January 3, 1899 | January 2, 1911 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 32nd | John T. McGowan | Democratic | January 3, 1899 | January 2, 1911 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 33rd | John T. McGowan | Democratic | January 3, 1899 | January 2, 1911 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 34th | John T. McGowan | Democratic | January 3, 1899 | January 2, 1911 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 35th | John T. McGowan | Democratic | January 3, 1899 | January 2, 1911 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 36th | John T. McGowan | Democratic | January 3, 1899 | January 2, 1911 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 37th | Napoleon L'Herault | Democratic | January 3, 1911 | January 4, 1915 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
| 38th | Napoleon L'Herault | Democratic | January 3, 1911 | January 4, 1915 | Minneapolis | Hennepin |
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| 87th | Theodore J. "Ted" Daley | Republican | January 4, 2011 | January 7, 2013 | Eagan | Dakota |
| 88th | Roger Chamberlain | Republican | January 8, 2013 | January 5, 2021 | Lino Lakes | Anoka Ramsey Washington |
| 89th | Roger Chamberlain | Republican | January 8, 2013 | January 5, 2021 | Lino Lakes | Anoka Ramsey Washington |
| 90th | Roger Chamberlain | Republican | January 8, 2013 | January 5, 2021 | Lino Lakes | Anoka Ramsey Washington |

## Recent elections
### 2016

The candidate filing deadline was May 31, 2016, and the primary election took place on August 9, 2016, with both candidates running unopposed. The general election was held on November 8, 2016, and Republican incumbent Roger Chamberlain defeated Democratic candidate Patrick Davern.
Minnesota State Senate election, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Roger Chamberlain | 27,109 | 58.67 |
| | Democratic | Patrick Davern | 19,094 | 41.33 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 46,203 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2012

The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the 2012 elections on June 5, 2012. The primary election was held on August 14, 2012, with neither candidate facing party opposition. The general election was held on November 6, 2012. Republican incumbent Roger Chamberlain defeated Democratic challenger Timothy Henderson.
Minnesota State Senate election, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Roger Chamberlain | 23,817 | 53.3 |
| | Democratic | Timothy Henderson | 20,849 | 46.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 44,666 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |