The Green Papers: Minnesota 2018 General Election
 
This page is for offices up for election in 2018. Find 2019 elections here.

Flag images courtesy of The World Flag Database. Copyright http://www.flags.net/ Minnesota
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress
✓ Primary: Tuesday 14 August 2018
✓ General Election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Tuesday 5 June 2018 - Filing Deadline - Primary/Independent/Third/Minor .
Tuesday 14 August 2018 - Primary . Polling hours 7:00a-8:00p CDT (1200-0100 UTC). Voting begins at 10:00 AM in some townships.
Tuesday 6 November 2018 - General Election . Polling hours 7:00a-8:00p CST (1300-0200 UTC). Voting begins at 10:00 AM in some townships.
 
Senators:2(Electoral Classes 1 and 2)
Governor:1 
2010 Census:5,314,879 (1.72% of 309,785,186)
2012, 2016, 2020 Electoral Votes:10(1.86% of 538)
2012-2020 Representatives:8(1.84% of 435)
Capital:St. Paul
 

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Minnesota State and Local Government


Primaries are held for the Republican and Democratic-Farmer-Labor.

Write-in votes are not allowed in a primary election but are allowed in the General Election [Minn. Stat. 204B.36, subd. 2].


2018 Election Dates and Candidate Filings from the Minnesota Secretary of State.


14 August Primary
Returns from the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Results from FOX 9.
Results from Politico.
Results from The New York Times.


6 November 2018:
View your sample ballot from the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Certified returns from the Minnesota Secretary of State.

 
           

U.S. Senate  6 year term. No Term Limit. 115th Senate  Senate Electoral Classes

Class 1
Seat up for regular election
Democratic Senator Amy J. Klobuchar
• Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018
First elected: 2006; re-elected: 2012
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Renominated
 Candidate list (4, 2 write-ins)
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,566,174 60.31% Senator Amy J. Klobuchar
FEC S6MN00267; 26 Nov 18; Tot $8,026,906; Dsb $6,408,419
  Candidate Republican 940,437 36.21% state Representative James Wallace "Jim" Newberger
FEC S8MN00552; 26 Nov 18; Tot $258,494; Dsb $250,489
  Candidate Legal Marijuana Now 66,236 2.55% Dennis Schuller
FEC S8MN00727
  Candidate Minnesota Green Party 23,101 0.89% Paula M. Overby
FEC S6MN00416
  Candidate Scattering 931 0.04% WRITE-IN
  Candidate Write-in; (Socialist Workers Party)     Helen Meyers
Total 2,596,879 100.00%  

Class 2 Democratic Senator Tina Flint Smith
• Re-elected Tuesday 3 November 2020
Appointed: 13 December 2017 by Governor Mark Dayton (Democratic) re: resignation of Senator Al Franken (Democratic).
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2020
 

Senator Al Franken (Democratic) who was first elected in 2008 announced his resignation on 20 December 2017 effective 2 January 2018. The 2008 election of Senator Al Franken (Democratic) was contested. It was resolved on 30 June 2009 by the Minnesota Supreme Court in Senator Al Franken's favor and he was sworn on 7 July 2009. Senator Franken was re-elected in 2014.

7 December 2017: Senator Franken: "... I am announcing that in the coming weeks I will be resigning as a member of the United States Senate...."
13 December 2017: Governor Mark Dayton (Democratic) announced that he would appoint Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith (Democratic) as the new Senator upon Senator Al Franken's (Democratic) resignation.
20 December 2017: Senator Franken announced his resignation effective 2 January 2018.
3 January 2018: Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith is sworn.


Class 2
Seat up for special election
Special Election
Democratic
Seat up for special election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Special Election -
Next regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2020
 Candidate list (4, 1 write-in)
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,370,540 52.97% Senator Tina Flint Smith
FEC S8MN00578; 26 Nov 18; Tot $9,154,180; Dsb $8,603,135
  Candidate Republican 1,095,777 42.35% state Senator Karin Housley
FEC S8MN00586; 31 Dec 18; Tot $4,697,809; Dsb $4,682,067
  Candidate Legal Marijuana Now 95,614 3.70% Sarah Wellington
FEC S8MN00735
  Candidate Unaffiliated 24,324 0.94% Jerry Trooien
FEC S8MN00636; 26 Nov 18; Tot $1,647,379; Dsb $1,646,229
  Candidate Scattering 1,101 0.04% WRITE-IN
Total 2,587,356 100.00%  

Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None, All Governors

Chair up for regular election
Open
Democratic Governor Mark Dayton
First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014
Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Open Chair - 21 November 2016: Retiring at the end of his term.
 ** Open Chair (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (4, 3 write-ins)
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,393,096 53.84% Congressman Timothy J. "Tim" Walz
for Lieutenant Governor: state Representative Peggy Flanagan
CD 1.
27 March 2017: Candidate for Governor
  Candidate Republican 1,097,705 42.43% Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson
for Lieutenant Governor: Donna Bergstrom
  Candidate Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis 68,667 2.65% Thomas Christopher "Chris" Wright
for Lieutenant Governor: Judith Schwartzbacker
Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis
  Candidate Libertarian 26,735 1.03% Josh Welter
for Lieutenant Governor: Mary O'Connor
  Candidate Scattering 1,084 0.04% WRITE-IN
  Candidate Write-in; (Socialist Workers Party)     Jacquie Henderson
  Candidate Write-in; (Republican)     Jeffrey Wharton
7 May 2018: "I may have officially left the race but I will be submitting as a write in candidate ...."
Total 2,587,287 100.00%  

Lieutenant Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Elected on a ticket with the Governor.

Seat up for regular election Republican Lieutenant Governor Michelle Fischbach
3 January 2018: Minnesota Senate President Michelle Fischbach (Republican) ascended to the office of Lieutenant Governor re: Governor Mark Dayton (Democratic) appointment of Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith (Democratic) as the new Senator re: Senator Al Franken's (Democratic) resignation.
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor as former Governor Tim Pawlenty's running mate.
 Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith (Democratic), who was first elected in 2014, was appointed on 13 December 2017 by Governor Mark Dayton (Democratic) as the state's Class 2 Senator upon Senator Al Franken's (Democratic) resignation. Senator Franken resigned on 2 January 2018 and Tina Smith was sworn to the Class 2 Senate Seat on 3 January 2018.

115th U.S. House of Representatives  2-year term. Election Cycle 2018, 2020. No Term Limit. 115th House
Partisan Composition (primary disposition):
5 Democratic (3 Open, 2 Renominated);
3 Republican (3 Renominated)

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 1
Seat up for regular election
Open
Democratic Congressman Timothy J. "Tim" Walz
First elected: 2006
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Open Seat - 27 March 2017: Candidate for Governor
 ** Open Seat (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (2, 1 write-in) - 116th Congress
  Elected Republican 146,200 50.13% James "Jim" Hagedorn
FEC H0MN01045; 26 Nov 18; Tot $1,600,486; Dsb $1,596,791
  Candidate Democratic-Farmer Labor 144,885 49.68% Daniel "Dan" Feehan
FEC H8MN01279; 26 Nov 18; Tot $4,171,905; Dsb $4,133,901
  Candidate Scattering 576 0.20% WRITE-IN
Total 291,661 100.00%  

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 2
Seat up for regular election
Republican Congressman Jason Mark Lewis
First elected: 2016
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Renominated
 Candidate list (2, 1 write-in) - 116th Congress
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 177,958 52.66% Angela Dawn "Angie" Craig
FEC H6MN02131; 26 Nov 18; Tot $5,475,940; Dsb $5,440,694
  Candidate Republican 159,344 47.15% Congressman Jason Mark Lewis
FEC H6MN02149; 26 Nov 18; Tot $2,910,629; Dsb $2,878,142
  Candidate Scattering 666 0.20% WRITE-IN
Total 337,968 100.00%  

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 3
Seat up for regular election
Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen
First elected: 2008
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Renominated
 Candidate list (2, 1 write-in) - 116th Congress
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 202,404 55.61% Dean Phillips
FEC H8MN03143; 26 Nov 18; Tot $6,228,132; Dsb $6,187,070
  Candidate Republican 160,839 44.19% Congressman Erik Paulsen
FEC H8MN03077; 26 Nov 18; Tot $5,860,714; Dsb $5,785,702
  Candidate Scattering 706 0.19% WRITE-IN
Total 363,949 100.00%  

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 4
Seat up for regular election
Democratic Congressman Betty McCollum
• Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018
First elected: 2000
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Renominated
 Candidate list (3, 1 write-in) - 116th Congress
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 216,865 65.99% Congressman Betty McCollum
FEC H0MN04049; 26 Nov 18; Tot $931,820; Dsb $906,899
  Candidate Republican 97,747 29.75% Gregory Thomas "Greg" Ryan
FEC H6MN04236; 26 Nov 18; Tot $23,621; Dsb $20,825
  Candidate Legal Marijuana Now 13,776 4.19% Susan Pendergast Sindt
FEC H6MN04269
  Candidate Scattering 226 0.07% WRITE-IN
Total 328,614 100.00%  

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 5
Seat up for regular election
Open
Democratic Congressman Keith Maurice Ellison
First elected: 2006
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Open Seat - 5 June 2018: Candidate for Attorney General in 2018.
 ** Open Seat (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (2, 2 write-ins) - 116th Congress
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 267,703 77.97% state Representative Ilhan Omar
FEC H8MN05239; 26 Nov 18; Tot $1,052,517; Dsb $959,314
  Candidate Republican 74,440 21.68% Jennifer L. "Jen" Zielinski
FEC H8MN05213; 26 Nov 18; Tot $23,355; Dsb $22,708
  Candidate Scattering 1,215 0.35% WRITE-IN
  Candidate Write-in; (Green)     Les Lester
Total 343,358 100.00%  

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 6
Seat up for regular election
Republican Congressman Thomas Earl "Tom" Emmer, Jr.
• Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018
First elected: 2014
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Renominated
 Candidate list (2, 1 write-in) - 116th Congress
  Elected Republican 192,931 61.11% Congressman Thomas Earl "Tom" Emmer, Jr.
FEC H4MN06087; 26 Nov 18; Tot $2,203,606; Dsb $2,124,693
  Candidate Democratic-Farmer Labor 122,332 38.75% Ian Andrew Todd
FEC H8MN06096; 26 Nov 18; Tot $82,556; Dsb $80,254
  Candidate Scattering 463 0.15% WRITE-IN
Total 315,726 100.00%  

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 7
Seat up for regular election
Democratic Congressman Collin Clark Peterson
• Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Renominated
 Candidate list (2, 1 write-in) - 116th Congress
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 146,672 52.10% Congressman Collin Clark Peterson
FEC H2MN07014; 31 Dec 18; Tot $1,431,201; Dsb $1,500,493
  Candidate Republican 134,668 47.84% David Russell "Dave" Hughes
FEC H6MN07304; 31 Dec 18; Tot $261,636; Dsb $258,330
  Candidate Scattering 169 0.06% WRITE-IN
Total 281,509 100.00%  

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 8
Seat up for regular election
Open
Democratic Congressman Richard Michael "Rick" Nolan
First elected: 2012
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Open Seat - 9 February 2018: "... I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for reelection, and will retire at the end of the current term."
3 June 2018: Ran for but did not receive his party's nomination for Lieutenant Governor.
 ** Open Seat (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (3, 1 write-in) - 116th Congress
  Elected Republican 159,364 50.72% St. Louis County Commissioner Pete Stauber
FEC H8MN08043; 26 Nov 18; Tot $1,774,878; Dsb $1,672,666
  Candidate Democratic-Farmer Labor 141,950 45.18% former state Representative Joseph "Joe" Radinovich
FEC H8MN08068; 26 Nov 18; Tot $2,432,207; Dsb $2,351,709
  Candidate Independence; (Green) 12,741 4.05% Ray Henry John "Skip" Sandman
FEC H4MN08091; 26 Nov 18; Tot $20,291; Dsb $21,694
  Candidate Scattering 156 0.05% WRITE-IN
Total 314,211 100.00%  

Secretary of State  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018

Seat up for regular election Democratic-Farmer Labor Secretary of State Steve Simon
• Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018
First elected: 2014
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Renominated
 Candidate list (3, 1 write-in)
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,328,502 52.25% Secretary of State Steve Simon
  Candidate Republican 1,109,093 43.62% former state Senator John Howe
  Candidate Independence 103,610 4.08% William Denney
  Candidate Scattering 1,317 0.05% WRITE-IN
Total 2,542,522 100.00%  

Attorney General  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018

Seat up for regular election
Open
Democratic-Farmer Labor Attorney General Lori Swanson
First elected: 2006; re-elected: 2010, 2014
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Open Seat - 4 June 2018: State she would run for Governor after she did not receive her party's endorsement for Attorney General.
14 August 2018: Did not receive her party's nomination for Governor.
 ** Open Office (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (3, 1 write-in)
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,249,407 48.96% Congressman Keith Maurice Ellison
Congressman CD 5.
5 June 2018: Candidate for Attorney General in 2018.
  Candidate Republican 1,150,459 45.08% former state Representative Doug Wardlow
  Candidate Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis 145,748 5.71% Noah M. Johnson
Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis
  Candidate Scattering 6,158 0.24% WRITE-IN
Total 2,551,772 100.00%  

Auditor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018

Seat up for regular election
Open
Democratic-Farmer Labor Auditor Rebecca Otto
First elected: 2006; re-elected: 2010, 2014
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Open Seat - 9 January 2017: Running for Governor in 2018.
4 June 2018: "I am announcing that I am suspending my campaign for Governor."
 ** Open Office (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (4, 1 write-in)
  Elected Democratic-Farmer Labor 1,250,524 49.35% Julie Blaha
  Candidate Republican 1,095,310 43.23% former state Representative Pam Myhra
  Candidate Legal Marijuana Now 133,913 5.28% Michael Ford
  Candidate Libertarian 53,068 2.09% Chris Dock
  Candidate Scattering 1,125 0.04% WRITE-IN
Total 2,533,940 100.00%  
 

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   Those parties which received electoral votes through winning a plurality of a state's [or the District of Columbia's] popular vote in any presidential election between 1984 and 2016. See Classification of Political parties.
  Democratic (affiliates): 9 incumbents
  Democratic-Farmer Labor (affiliate of Democratic): 3 incumbents, 14 candidates
  Republican: 4 incumbents, 15 candidates
Major Third Parties   Any Party, other than a Major Party, receiving a minimum of 15/100ths of 1 percent of the nationwide popular vote in any presidential election between 1984 and 2016. See Classification of Political parties.
  Green (affiliates): 2 candidates
  Libertarian: 2 candidates
  Minnesota Green Party (affiliate of Green): 1 candidate
Other Third Parties
  Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis: 2 candidates
  Independence (affiliates): 2 candidates
  Legal Marijuana Now: 4 candidates
  Socialist Workers Party: 2 candidates
Independents
  Unaffiliated: 1 candidate
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
  Scattering: 14 candidates
  Write-in: 4 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 a legal election authority that the person has been officially certified to appear on the ballot.

Primary dates marked "presumably" and polling times marked "reportedly" are based on unofficial or estimated data (especially as regards local variations from a jurisdictionwide statutory and/or regulatory standard) and are, thereby, subject to change.

"FEC" indicates the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Finance Summary.

When available, we post each candidate's FEC identification number, the date of their most recently filed Report of Receipts and Disbursements, their "Tot" [Total Receipts (contributions received or what came in: FEC Form 3, Line 16, Column B)] and their "Dsb" [Total Disbursements (expenditures or what was spent: FEC Form 3, Line 23, Column B)]. A link is provided to the Federal Election Commission's Summary Report for those who might wish to explore the details.

If a candidate raises or spends $5,000 or less, he or she is not subject to FEC reporting requirements.


 


  2018 General Election Home  
 
  116th U.S. Senate Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party  
  Gubernatorial Popular Vote by Party  
  116th 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  
 
2018 Primaries and Runoffs for Statewide offices/Congress
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  Senators by 'Class'  
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  Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance   --   Senatorial Primaries at a Glance  
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  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  
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  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with only one major party candidate running for office  
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  2018 Partisan Composition by State  
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  Political Parties  
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  Senate Electoral Classes  
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  Statewide Political Party Strength going into the 2018 Midterm Elections  
  Relative Political Party Strength by SECTION and Region going into the 2018 Midterm Election  
  Weighted Relative Political Party Strength by SECTION and Region  
  2018 Congressional Party Breakdown by Region  
  2018 STATE EXECUTIVE/LEGISLATIVE Political Party Breakdown by SECTION and Region  
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  Comparative Political Party Predominance in each State, 2000 thru 2016  
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History
  Political Party Floor Leaders in the Congress of the United States  
  Dates of DIRECT PRIMARY Elections re: Major Party Nominations for Statewide and/or Federal Office  
  Length of Terms of Office of STATE Governors throughout American History  
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  (downloads)