The Green Papers: Minnesota 2006 Midterm Election
 
Flag images courtesy of The World Flag Database. Copyright http://www.flags.net/ Minnesota
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress
Primary: Tuesday 12 September 2006
General Election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Electoral Votes:10(1.86% of 538)
Governor:1 
Senators:2(Electoral Classes 1 and 2)
2002-2010 Representatives:8(1.84% of 435)
2000 Census:4,925,670 (1.75% of 281,998,273)
Estimated Voting age population (November 2000):3,547,000
Registered Voters (November 2000):3,265,324
Capital:St. Paul
Tuesday 12 September 2006 polling hours 7:00a CDT (1200 UTC) to 8:00p CDT (0100 UTC).
Tuesday 7 November 2006 polling hours 7:00a CST (1300 UTC) to 8:00p CST (0200 UTC).
 

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Minnesota State and Local Government


MINNESOTA PRIMARY

Tuesday 12 September 2006

This Primary is solely for candidates of the Democrat-Farmer-Labor, Republican, and Independence Parties.

(NOTES: The Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party is listed as "Democrats" in this Red Zone because, in terms of the national political picture [the principal focus of this website], the DFL is Minnesota's affiliate of the Democratic Party of the United States and DFL'ers serve as the State's representatives to that Party's National Committee.

Candidates of the "Independence" Party are not to be confused with individual Independents who might appear on the General Election ballot without the endorsement of any Party.)

MINNESOTA PRIMARY Returns from an official source

MINNESOTA Primary results from a media source

All races involving an Incumbent are in boldface and also marked with an asterisk (*)

Contested STATEWIDE races:

  • United States Senate (Class 1):
    • Democrats have nominated Amy Klobuchar
    • Independence have nominated Robert Fitzgerald
    • Republicans have nominated Mark Kennedy
  • Governor:
    • Democrats have nominated Mike Hatch
    • Independence have nominated Peter Hutchinson
    • Republicans have renominated Tim Pawlenty*
  • Secretary of State:
    • Democrats have nominated Mark Ritchie
  • Attorney General:
    • Democrats have nominated Lori Swanson
    • Independence have nominated John James
    • Republicans have nominated Jeff Johnson

Contested U.S. HOUSE races:

  • CD 1:
    • Republicans have renominated Gil Gutknecht*
  • CD 3:
    • Democrats have nominated Wendy Pareene
  • CD 4:
    • Republicans have nominated Obi Sium
  • CD 5:
    • Democrats have nominated Keith Ellison
  • CD 7:
    • Democrats have renominated Collin Peterson*
 
           

U.S. Senate  6 year term. No Term Limit. 109th Senate  Senate Electoral Classes

Class 1
Seat up for election
Open
Democratic Senator Mark Dayton
First elected: 2000
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Open Seat - 9 February 2005: Senator Dayton announces that he will not seek re-election.
 Polls: Leans Democratic - Democratic-Farmer Labor Amy Klobuchar
 ** Open Seat (no incumbent) **
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,279,515 58.00% Amy Klobuchar
Party endorsed candidate

FEC: $9,202,052
  Candidate Republican 839,173 38.04% Congressman Mark Raymond Kennedy
Congressman Congressional District 6
Party endorsed candidate

FEC: $9,770,342
  Candidate Independence 71,241 3.23% Robert Maxwell Fitzgerald
Party endorsed candidate

FEC: $13,652
  Candidate Green 10,729 0.49% Michael James Cavlan
FEC: $9,378
  Candidate Constitution 5,408 0.25% Ben Powers
FEC finanical report not available
Total 2,206,066 100.00%  

Class 2 Republican Senator Norm Coleman
First elected: 2002
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008

Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006. Term Limit: None, All Governors

Chair up for election Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty
• Re-elected Tuesday 7 November 2006
First elected: 2002
Chair up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Renominated - 12 September 2006 Primary
 Polls: Toss-up - Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty vs. Democratic-Farmer Labor Attorney General Mike Hatch
  Elected Republican 1,030,236 46.72% Governor Tim Pawlenty
For Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau
  Candidate Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,007,753 45.70% Attorney General Mike Hatch
for Lt Governor: former Auditor Judi Dutcher.
Mr. Hatch has received his party's endorsement.
  Candidate Independence 141,726 6.43% Peter Hutchinson
for Lt. Governor: Maureen Reed
  Candidate Green 10,866 0.49% Ken Pentel
for Lt. Governor: Danene Provencher
  Candidate Quit Raising Taxes 9,639 0.44% Walt E. Brown
for Lt. Governor: Wesley C. Nelson
  Candidate American 3,786 0.17% Leslie Davis
for Lt. Governor: Gregory K. Soderberg
Listed on the ballot as "American Party"
  Candidate Write-in 944 0.04% Write-In
  Candidate Write-in 3 0.00% David W. Hinkley
for Lt. Governor: Patricia Olson
  Candidate Write-in 2 0.00% Murphy Wentworth
for Lt. Governor: Lucy Amell
  Candidate Write-in 1 0.00% Nelson F. Gonzalez
for Lt. Governor: Tom Baumann
Total 2,204,956 100.00%  

Lieutenant Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006. Elected on a ticket with the Governor.

Seat up for election Republican Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau
First elected: 2002
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

109th U.S. House of Representatives  2 year term, Election Cycle 2006, 2008. No Term Limit. 109th House
Partisan Composition (primary disposition):
4 Republican (3 Renominated, 1 Open);
4 Democratic (3 Renominated, 1 Open)

CD 1
{map}
Seat up for election
Republican Congressman Gilbert W. "Gil" Gutknecht, Jr.
First elected: 1994
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Renominated - 12 September 2006 Primary
 Polls: Leans Republican - Republican Congressman Gilbert W. "Gil" Gutknecht, Jr.
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 141,622 52.82% Timothy J. "Tim" Walz
FEC: $1,299,267
  Candidate Republican 126,487 47.18% Congressman Gilbert W. "Gil" Gutknecht, Jr.
FEC: $1,364,284
Total 268,109 100.00%  

CD 2
{map}
Seat up for election
Republican Congressman John P. Kline
• Re-elected Tuesday 7 November 2006
First elected: 2002
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Renominated - 12 September 2006 Primary
 Polls: Republican Congressman John P. Kline
  Elected Republican 163,292 56.22% Congressman John P. Kline
FEC: $1,495,470
  Candidate Democratic-Farmer Labor 116,360 40.06% Coleen Marie Rowley
FEC: $692,476
  Candidate Independence 10,802 3.72% Douglas "Doug" Williams
FEC finanical report not available
Total 290,454 100.00%  

CD 3
{map}
Seat up for election
Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad
• Re-elected Tuesday 7 November 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Renominated - 12 September 2006 Primary
 Polls: Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad
  Elected Republican 184,353 64.92% Congressman Jim Ramstad
FEC: $1,028,886
  Candidate Democratic-Farmer Labor 99,599 35.08% Wendy (Pareene) Wilde
FEC: $67,887
Total 283,952 100.00%  

CD 4
{map}
Seat up for election
Democratic Congressman Betty McCollum
• Re-elected Tuesday 7 November 2006
First elected: 2000
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Renominated - 12 September 2006 Primary
 Polls: Democratic-Farmer Labor Congressman Betty McCollum
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 172,100 69.71% Congressman Betty McCollum
FEC: $562,752
  Candidate Republican 74,797 30.29% Ogbazghi "Obi" Sium
Party endorsed candidate

FEC: $79,223
Total 246,897 100.00%  

CD 5
{map}
Seat up for election
Open
Democratic Congressman Martin Olav Sabo
First elected: 1978
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Open Seat - 18 March 2006: Announced retirement
 Polls: Democratic-Farmer Labor Keith Maurice Ellison
 ** Open Seat (no incumbent) **
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 136,061 55.63% Keith Maurice Ellison
Received Democratic Farmer Labor Party endorsement

FEC: $795,047
  Candidate Republican 52,263 21.37% Alan Raymond Fine
Received Republican Party endorsement

FEC: $198,319
  Candidate Independence 51,456 21.04% Tammy Louise Lee
FEC: $228,938
  Candidate Green 4,792 1.96% Jay Pond
FEC: $9,102
Total 244,572 100.00%  

CD 6
{map}
Seat up for election
Open
Republican Congressman Mark Raymond Kennedy
First elected: 2000
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Open Seat - 2005 February 11: Congressman Kennedy announced that he would seek the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Mark Dayton.
 Polls: Toss-up - Currently Republican. Democratic-Farmer Labor Patty Wetterling vs. Republican Michele M. Bachmann
 ** Open Seat (no incumbent) **
  Elected Republican 151,962 50.05% Michele M. Bachmann
FEC: $2,626,866
  Candidate Democratic-Farmer Labor 128,053 42.17% Patty Wetterling
FEC: $3,153,303
  Candidate Independence 23,632 7.78% John Paul Binkowski
FEC: $18,297
Total 303,647 100.00%  

CD 7
{map}
Seat up for election
Democratic Congressman Collin C. Peterson
• Re-elected Tuesday 7 November 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Renominated - 12 September 2006 Primary
 Polls: Democratic-Farmer Labor Congressman Collin C. Peterson
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 179,163 69.67% Congressman Collin C. Peterson
FEC: $938,128
  Candidate Republican 74,680 29.04% Michael James "Mike" Barrett
FEC: $41,378
  Candidate Constitution 3,303 1.28% Ken Lucier
FEC finanical report not available
Total 257,146 100.00%  

CD 8
{map}
Seat up for election
Democratic Congressman James L. "Jim" Oberstar
• Re-elected Tuesday 7 November 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Renominated - 12 September 2006 Primary
 Polls: Democratic-Farmer Labor Congressman James L. "Jim" Oberstar
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 180,666 63.65% Congressman James L. "Jim" Oberstar
FEC: $1,368,865
  Candidate Republican 97,666 34.41% former Senator Rodney Dwight "Rod" Grams
FEC: $468,730
  Candidate Unity 5,508 1.94% Harry Robb Welty
FEC: $5,677
Total 283,840 100.00%  

Secretary of State  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006

Seat up for election Republican Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer
First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2002
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Renominated - 12 September 2006 Primary
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,048,829 49.07% Mark Ritchie
  Candidate Republican 944,220 44.18% Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer
  Candidate For Independent Voters 78,496 3.67% Bruce Kennedy
  Candidate Independence 64,537 3.02% Joel Spoonheim
  Candidate Write-in 1,211 0.06% Write-In
Total 2,137,293 100.00%  

Attorney General  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006

Seat up for election
Open
Democratic Attorney General Mike Hatch
First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2002
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Open Seat - Candidate for Governor in 2006
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,132,094 53.27% Lori Swanson
  Candidate Republican 864,902 40.70% Jeff Johnson
  Candidate Independence 86,058 4.05% John James
  Candidate Green 41,007 1.93% "Papa” John Kolstad
  Candidate Write-in 1,238 0.06% Write-In
Total 2,125,299 100.00%  

Auditor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006

Seat up for election Republican Auditor Patricia "Pat" Anderson
First elected: 2002
Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006
Renominated - 12 September 2006 Primary
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,094,442 51.92% Rebecca Otto
  Candidate Republican 866,056 41.08% Auditor Patricia "Pat" Anderson
  Candidate Independence 97,076 4.61% Lucy Gerold
  Candidate Green 49,131 2.33% Dave Berger
  Candidate Write-in 1,316 0.06% Write-In
Total 2,108,021 100.00%  

Political Parties    Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.

Major Parties
  Democratic (affiliates): 6 incumbents
  Democratic-Farmer Labor (affiliate of Democratic): 13 candidates
  Republican: 9 incumbents, 13 candidates
Major Third Parties
  Green (affiliates): 5 candidates
Other Third Parties
  American: 1 candidate
  Constitution (affiliates): 2 candidates
  For Independent Voters: 1 candidate
  Independence: 8 candidates
  Quit Raising Taxes: 1 candidate
  Unity: 1 candidate
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
  Write-in: 7 candidates
 
Candidates running under the banner of more than one party are counted towards each party's total. A candidate who has lost a primary or is apparently no longer a candidate is not counted.

Notes

Candidates for office appear on this page in italics where 'The Green Papers' does not yet have independent confirmation from an election authority that this candidate is actually on the ballot.
 
FEC indicates the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Finance Summary "Total Receipts" for candidates for Federal Office.

 


  2006 Midterm Election Home  
 
  U.S. Senate Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party  
  Gubernatorial Popular Vote by Party  
  U.S. House Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party  
  Close Contests Summary - Decision by 2% or less  
  Contests Where No Candidate Received a Majority  
 
  Contests to Watch and Polling Data  
 
2006 Election Dates:   Chronologically   --   Alphabetically  
Poll Closing Times:   Chronologically   --   Alphabetically  
....
  Governors     Senate     House  
....
  Senators by 'Class'  
  Governors by election 'cycle'  
....
  Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance   --   Senatorial Primaries at a Glance  
....
  Open Governor's Chairs, Senate and House Seats (the incumbent is not running for re-election)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with no incumbent running for them  
  Uncontested Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats (one candidate running for office)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with multiple incumbents running for them  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with only one major party candidate running for office  
....
  2006 Partisan Composition by State  
  2006 Political Party Breakdown by State - "Traditional" Sections and Regions  
....
  Political Parties  
....
  Senate Electoral Classes  
....
  Statewide Political Party Strength