In conjunction with the result of the House election, it also resulted in the return of all-DFL control of the Legislature since 2010 as well as the return of all-party and all-DFL control of the Legislature and governorship since 1990, which ended with the election of a Republican majority to the House in 2014.

The 67 members of the Senate were elected from single-member districts via first-past-the-post voting for four-year terms.

Contested nominations of the DFL and Republican parties for each district were determined by an open primary election.

Write-in candidates must have filed a request with the secretary of state's office for votes for them to have been counted.

According to MinnPost, the Star Tribune, the Pioneer Press, and MPR News, a total of 19 districts were competitive.