Education Minnesota’s political involvement is no secret. The state teachers’ union is a major spender on lobbying and political activity in Minnesota, and its political action committee (PAC) has directed most of its candidate and political committee spending to the DFL.
In fact, Minnesota ranks No. 1 nationally for the share of contributions to state political parties that comes from teacher unions, according to an analysis by the Fordham Institute. An update to Fordham’s 2012 rankings of state teacher union strength, the new analysis measures and ranks teacher union influence in K-12 education across multiple dimensions and all 50 states plus Washington, D.C.
One of those areas is “Involvement in Politics,” which covers candidate endorsements, political advertisements, and financial contributions to campaigns and political parties. Minnesota comes in 8th overall here, but that number includes a wide range of results. As you can see in the table below, between 2019 and 2024, teacher unions in Minnesota accounted for a larger share of contributions to state political parties than in any other state — a 1st-place ranking nationally. Minnesota also ranked fourth nationally when comparing teacher union contributions to state-level candidates with contributions from the state’s 10 largest business interests. In terms of teacher unions’ share of contributions to individual candidates, Minnesota ranks 20th.
Updated 2026 reporting to the Campaign Finance & Public Disclosure Board shows Education Minnesota’s PAC has sent over $1.5 million (more than half of its nearly $3 million spend so far) directly to DFL political party units — the DFL House and Senate Caucuses and the Minnesota DFL State Central Committee. Contributions to candidates, of which nearly all are DFLers, including Amy Klobuchar’s campaign for governor and Steve Simon’s campaign for secretary of state, total $35,400.
The PAC is also backing local school tax referendum campaigns through mailers, phone banking, and other voter outreach meant to boost approval of local property tax increases.
Separately, it has spent money pushing a “yes” vote on the proposed state constitutional amendment to the Permanent School Fund, and that spending increased significantly since the PAC’s August filing, from roughly $1,400 to nearly $69,000.
Educators who disagree with these political priorities, or who just don’t want the union focused on politics, are not required to support the PAC. But to get the annual PAC contribution refunded, they must request it each year. Education Minnesota increased the contribution from $25 to $30 per member last year. While a modest amount, for many educators it is a matter of principle because of the political causes and politicians the dollars fund. Members must fill out and sign the PAC refund request form available in the union’s magazine Minnesota Educator and mail it to Education Minnesota’s accounting department before the deadline (Oct. 31). A more member-driven approach would allow educators to provide affirmative consent before PAC contributions are deducted.
Outside of the PAC contribution, Education Minnesota uses union dues for political activities and lobbying expenditures, which it self-reports in its annual federal filing to the U.S. Department of Labor. In its most recent available filing, which covers Sept. 1, 2024-Aug. 31, 2025, Education Minnesota reported spending $3.57 million on political activities and lobbying. Minnesota teachers also pay dues to the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association that get spent on their political activities and lobbying.
Minnesota union members pay around $1,000 annually in combined local, state, and national dues — local dues vary, which affects the total amount. State and national dues increased for the 2025-26 membership year, and state dues have increased every year since at least 2014-15.
Every year from Sept. 1-Sept. 30, Minnesota educators get a window to decide whether union membership is still right for them. If you are a Minnesota educator who no longer wishes to bankroll the union’s political spending, you can submit a customized resignation letter during September and check out these professional educator associations that provide liability coverage, legal protection, and other benefits for a fraction of the cost of dues and without the politics.
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Stay tuned for more posts breaking down Minnesota’s teacher union rankings in other categories, as presented in the Fordham Institute’s report, “A Crowded Table: Teacher Union Strength in 2026.”