Minnesota's 5th Congressional District election (August 14, 2018 Democratic primary)

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Minnesota's 5th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 5, 2018
Primary: August 14, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent:
Keith Ellison (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Minnesota
Race ratings
Cook Partisan Voter Index (2018): D+26
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
Minnesota's 5th Congressional District
U.S. Senate (regular) • U.S. Senate (special) • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th
Minnesota elections, 2018
U.S. Congress elections, 2018
U.S. Senate elections, 2018
U.S. House elections, 2018

State Rep. Ilhan Omar]] (D) beat four other Democrats in the August 14 primary for Minnesota's 5th Congressional district, a seat left open when incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison's (D) announced that he would seek the nomination for state attorney general rather than run for re-election in the safely-Democratic District.[1]

Omar, the first Somali-American lawmaker in the U.S., was endorsed by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota (DFL).[2] Omar emphasized her opposition to President Donald Trump's (R) immigration policies citing her experience as a refugee.[3]

Former state House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D) campaigned on her 14 years in the legislature and the statewide name recognition she earned in a closely contested loss in the 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial primary.[4]

Frank Nelson Drake ran for the seat a second time, after earning 22.3 percent of the vote in the 2016 when he ran against Ellison as a Republican.

Engineer and activist Jamal Abdulahi (D) also ran on his experience as a Somali refugee. Abdulahi wrote an article that appeared in the LA Times in opposition to Trump's immigration executive order in 2017 and his rhetoric about Somalis in Minnesota.[5][6][7]

State Sen. Patricia Torres Ray (D) also saught the nomination.

Minnesota voter? Dates you need to know.
Primary electionAugust 14, 2018
Candidate filing deadlineJune 5, 2018
Registration deadlineAugust 14, 2018
Absentee application deadlineAugust 13, 2018
General electionNovember 6, 2018
Voting information
Primary typeOpen
Early voting deadlineAugust 14, 2018
Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day.


For more on related elections, please see:


Candidates and election results

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 5 on August 14, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 5

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Omar
 
48.2
 
65,237
Image of Margaret Kelliher
Margaret Kelliher
 
30.4
 
41,156
Image of Patricia Torres Ray
Patricia Torres Ray
 
13.0
 
17,629
Image of Jamal Abdulahi
Jamal Abdulahi
 
3.7
 
4,984
Image of Bobby Joe Champion
Bobby Joe Champion
 
2.8
 
3,831
Image of Frank Nelson Drake
Frank Nelson Drake Candidate Connection
 
1.8
 
2,480

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 135,317
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidates

Top candidates

Margaret Kelliher

Kelliher.JPG

Campaign website Facebook Twitter
Kelliher earned her MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and B.A. in history/political science from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Kelliher is a member of the Basilica of Saint Mary, Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association, League of Women Voters, Minneapolis Institute of the Arts, and the Minnesota 4-H Foundation. She is married and has 2 children.[8]


Ilhan Omar

Ilhan Omar portrait.JPG

Campaign website Facebook Twitter
Omar was born in Somalia and fled the country's civil war at eight years old. She lived in a refugee camp in Kenya for four years before moving to Minneapolis in 1997. Her interest in politics began at the age of 14 when she acted as an interpreter for her grandfather at local DFL caucuses. Before running for state House, she was a Humphrey Policy Fellow and served as a senior Policy Aide for a Minneapolis City Council Member. When she was elected in 2016, Omar became the first Somali-American, Muslim legislator in the United States.[9]

List of all candidates

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Campaign themes and policy stances

Democratic Party Jamal Abdullahi

“

Meet Jamal Abdullahi
At a time when immigrants and the very values that make America great are under attack, Jamal Abdulahi is an only-in-America success story.

Raised in hand-to-mouth poverty in rural Somalia, Jamal fled the Somali Civil War and endured hunger and fear in refugee camps before finally having the opportunity to evacuate to America.

On arriving in America, he took a Greyhound from California to Minnesota, worked minimum wage jobs to put himself through school and when he became eligible transferred to the University of Minnesota’s prestigious Institute of Technology and earned a degree in electrical engineering.

As committed DFL’er, Jamal has knocked on thousands of doors, chaired a committee charged with making recommendations on updating the DFL’s technology infrastructure and founded the Somali-American DFL Caucus which has taken as its mission to organize one of Minnesota’s most politically marginalized communities.

As a community advocate, Jamal has written extensively about the Somali community for mainstream publications and worked closely with legislators to draft legislation addressing gaps in mental health care, medical professionals trained overseas to be re-certified in Minnesota and a pilot program at Augsburg College to help inspire teachers of East African heritage to become licensed educators.

Jamal earned his M.B.A. while working full time and raising a family and developed his policy and leadership skills as a Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute.

Jamal and his wife Sahra Ali are raising four daughters and continue to serve the community just as Jamal has done his entire adult life.

Now, Jamal is ready to take his advocacy to Washington. He will be a leader in resisting Donald Trump’s divisive and discriminatory policies.

No challenge is too big for Jamal Abdulahi. He will successfully represent Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District with your help! [10]

”
—Jamal Abdullahi for Congress[11]

Democratic Party Margaret Kelliher

“

PRIORITIES I am hearing from people from all over the district that they a need a leader who will stand up for the needs of our district. I look forward to taking my track record of success championing progressive issues to Washington.

I will go to Congress and represent the people of this district who are feeling left behind by the current Administration. As Speaker of the Minnesota House, I fought Governor Pawlenty and won. Pawlenty tried to take away healthcare from vulnerable people and balance the budget on the backs of middle class and seniors. I will take this fight to Congress as this Administration attempts to take health care away from those with pre-existing conditions, demonizes immigrants and refugees, sides with the NRA over keeping our children safe, and threatens our public lands and the environment.

Standing Up for Middle Class Families The Republican tax bill gives 83 percent of the benefits to the richest Americans and corporations and raises taxes on working families while adding $1.5 trillion the national debt. Instead of paying for tax breaks for corporations and billionaires, we should be investing in Medicare-for-All, public education, and affordable housing.

Protecting Seniors and Retirees The White House wants to balance our budget on the backs of seniors and retirees. We made a promise to our seniors and I will fight against Republican efforts to privatize Social Security, cut Medicare benefits, and destroy pensions. We need to protect the retirement plans for millions of Americans who have paid into those programs with every paycheck.

Preserving a Woman's Right to Choose and Reproductive Justice A woman’s right to choose remains under attack across the nation. I strongly support efforts to provide better access to contraception and healthcare. Women need to have control over their decisions about the full range of health care and reproductive services, including defending and protecting funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood.

Increasing Access to Affordable Housing I will work with local leaders to increase options for affordable housing in the 5th District. Our communities need more flexibility with federal dollars to meet life-cycle housing and preserving naturally occurring affordable housing. As Speaker of the House in Minnesota, I oversaw the passage of the Minnesota Historic Preservation Tax Credit that paved the way for the rehabilitation of thousands of units of affordable housing in the 5th District including Cedar-Riverside.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math Policy I will continue to use evidence-based decision making in Congress. As the Chair of Governor Dayton's broadband task force, we have brought high speed broadband to over 45,000 households, businesses, schools and other anchor institutions in communities. For the past 8 years, I have worked on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) education and workforce development. I will advocate for an open and free internet, also known as net neutrality.

Strong Public Schools and Higher Education I will go to Washington to challenge Betsy DeVos's unrelenting attack on education. I will be a champion for the closing the special education funding gap that has grown wider in recent years. In the legislature I kept my promises to increase school funding and access to all-day kindergarten and Pre-K. As a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State College system, I am deeply committed to making public college and university affordable and free for all.

A Clean Energy Future that Protects our Environment When I was Speaker of Minnesota’s House, I successfully guided of the passage of Minnesota’s nation-leading renewable energy standard. I will be the strongest advocate for legislation to combat climate change in Congress. I know that our public lands are a treasure that must be protected for future generations. I will stand up against efforts to allow copper-nickel mining that could destroy the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and threatens freshwater in all of Northeastern Minnesota.

A Safer Place to Live, Common-Sense Gun Reform I am a strong supporter of legislation that will keep our communities, children and families safe from gun violence. I support universal background checks, a ban on all military-style weapons including high-capacity magazines and assault weapons, and a domestic violence offender gun ban.

Immigration I will fight to stop family separation and work to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) established by George W. Bush in 2002 and return to a more humane immigration and naturalization service. I will fulfill our nation's promise and uphold Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and create a path to citizenship for everyone that calls our country home.

Medicare-for-All I strongly believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. I support a universal Medicare-for-All plan and will defend core principles in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including preserving access and coverage for pre-existing conditions, mental health, and women's health. I have been a strong proponent of ensuring 5th District residents have access to federal funding through the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP). We must protect our most vulnerable from financial devastation by medical bills.

Jobs and Infrastructure I will bring clean energy jobs and transportation investments and options to the 5th District. I led the override of Tim Pawlenty’s veto of the comprehensive transportation and transit bill. Over the past 10 years, this has meant over $8 billion invested in transit and transportation. I've been a strong supporter of multi-modal transportation including bike, transit, and auto investments. I was a leader in both the passage of legislation for final state funding of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) blue and green lines.

GLBTQ+ Rights I have always been strong supporter and defender of GLBTQ+ rights. I will continue to take that record of support for the community to Washington. I will be a champion to defend the right to marry who you love and protect the health care services for the entire community to include transgender health. [10]

”
—Maragret Kelliher for Congress[12]

Democratic Party Ilhan Omar

“

Vision

Establish Economic Justice for Working Families

  • Support a federal minimum wage of at least $15, strengthen workers’ right to organize, paid family leave, earned sick and safe time, fair scheduling, create new, good jobs at home, incentivize hiring workers who have been shut out of the labor market, and ensure employer health insurance for all workers
  • Establish universal health coverage in America, so that everyone has access to health care by supporting Medicare for All. Focusing on preventive care, trauma informed care, and end health disparities
  • Lower drug prices by shortening the patent life of prescriptions drugs, allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, require transparency in pricing, encourage the Department of Health and Human Services to utilize their “march-in rights” and enforce antitrust law with Drug Corporations
  • Reduce wealth and income inequality

Guarantee Access to Public Education

  • Fight for debt-free public college and student debt cancellation with state-federal funding partnerships, and work to eliminate undergraduate tuition at public 4-year schools
  • Ensure healthy schools by investing gun violence prevention, professional development for educators focused on bullying, mental and behavioral health, cultural competence, appropriate classroom management, and safety
  • Guarantee access to universal child care, universal preschool programs, and increase funding for Head Start
  • Mandate K-12 affirmative consent education

Re-imagine our Immigration & Criminal Justice Systems

  • Abolish Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and increase refugee resettlement and asylum
  • Pass a clean DREAM Act and provide a path to citizenship for all DACA and TPS recipients
  • Ban private prisons and invest in existing alternatives to incarceration, as well as piloting new alternatives to incarceration
  • Support evidence-based harm reduction policies to ensure trauma-informed, cultural and gender competent, comprehensive treatment and support

Ensure Environmental Justice & Energy Independence

  • Invest in renewable, efficient energy and green manufacturing while moving us to a 100% clean energy future
  • Create high-paying, union jobs in clean energy while supporting hard working Americans transitioning out of the fossil fuel industry
  • Put us on a path to zero waste and reassess standards to prioritize environmental justice by moving away from waste-to-energy incineration
  • End subsidies and tax breaks to the millionaires and billionaires in the fossil fuel industry

Build Resilient Infrastructure

  • Revitalize our infrastructure to support the health of our people and planet including the expansion of safe, decent, and affordable housing
  • Transition to a 21st Century Infrastructure to transform our energy, water and transportation systems, and mandate local hiring while raising the benchmark for locally prevailing wages, increasing workers’ paychecks
  • Provide federal funding to adequately invest in the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds and stem our nation’s water affordability crisis.
  • Fight for accessible broadband, ensure nationwide access to reliable, high-speed internet, and reinstate Net Neutrality

Increase Access to Housing

  • Increase funding for Community Development Block Grants and the HOME Program to expand the number of affordable housing units
  • End family homelessness
  • Fight for full funding of Section 202 housing for low income seniors and Section 811 housing for people with disabilities
  • Support funding for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to support our communities during harsh winters

[10]

”
—Ilhan Omar for Congress[13]

Democratic Party Patricia Torres Ray

“

Meet Patricia Torres Ray
Sen. Patricia Torres Ray made history in 2006 by becoming the first Latina woman elected to the Minnesota Senate. She is serving her fourth term, representing District 63, which includes South-east Minneapolis and portions of Richfield.

Sen. Torres Ray was born in Colombia and studied law at the University of Nariño in Colombia. She moved to Minnesota in 1987, after marrying her husband Jack, a University of Minnesota student who had traveled abroad to Colombia for an internship. She has two boys, Tomas 24 and Patrick 22. She received her undergraduate degree in Urban Studies from the University of Minnesota, and also holds a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute.

She began her career with the State of Minnesota as the Ombudsperson for Families in 1992. She was later recruited by the Minnesota Department of Human Services to serve as a Program Administrator, responsible for coordinating cultural competency training and support to 87 counties and 11 tribal reservations. She coordinated services related to child welfare, mental health, family support and early childhood services.

Currently, Sen. Torres Ray serves in E-12 Finance, Environmental and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance, and is the Lead Democrat for Local Government. She has served as Chair of Parks and Trails in the Environment Division, Chair of State and Local Government Policy Committee, Chair of the Education Policy Committee and Chair of the New Americans Task Force.

Patricia has served on numerous local and national boards, including the Children’s Defense Fund; Minneapolis’ Youth Coordinating Board; University of Minnesota’s Children, Youth and Family Consortium; Early Childhood Council; Minnesota Chicano Latino Affairs Council, English Language Learner’s Minneapolis Public Schools Taskforce; and the Mississippi River Parkway Commission.

She is the chair of the National Hispanic Women Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) and the Midwest Director for WiLL/Wand-Women’s Actions for New Directions.

She was a Lieutenant Governor candidate for the John Marty for Governor campaign, and she was the Chair of Latinos for Obama for the State of Minnesota in 2008.


[10]

”
—Patricia Torres Ray for Congress[14]

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jamal Abdulahi Democratic Party $148,773 $148,603 $0 As of October 15, 2018
Bobby Joe Champion Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Frank Nelson Drake Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Margaret Kelliher Democratic Party $535,860 $535,860 $0 As of December 31, 2018
Ilhan Omar Democratic Party $1,084,183 $1,029,354 $54,829 As of December 31, 2018
Patricia Torres Ray Democratic Party $96,971 $93,540 $3,430 As of December 31, 2018
Bob Carney Jr. Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Christopher Chamberlin Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jennifer Zielinski Republican Party $23,355 $22,755 $600 As of December 31, 2018

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Noteworthy events

Debates and forums

August 6, 2018: A forum was held at Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park. Firearm regulation was a major topic, and most candidates expressed similar objections to arming teachers and the influence of the National Rifle Association. Drake differed in style from the rest of the field, saying, "There is no First Amendment without the Second Amendment. That is a hard one to swallow," and recommending no changes to Minnesota's conceal and carry laws. Omar was asked to explain comments critical of Israel at the forum. Omar denied any bias against Jewish people but remained steadfast in criticism of the Israeli government. "I think it is going to be important for us to recognize Israel’s place in the Middle East and the Jewish people’s rightful place within that legion," Omar said, "It’s also important that we are going through a process that we are guaranteeing that to the Palestinians."[15][16][17]

District Background

Former Rep. Keith Ellison (D) became the first Muslim Congressman in the U.S. when he was elected to represent the District in 2006. The 2018 Democratic primary field included two Muslim candidates, Omar and Abdulahi, hoping to succeed Ellison.

Both candidates are Somali immigrants in a District with one of the largest Somali populations in the U.S. The 5th Congressional District is home to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, famously nicknamed “Little Mogadishu.” The Minnesota Demographers Office estimates that there are between 40,200 and 52,400 Somalis in Minnesota, most of whom live in or adjacent to the District in the Minneapolis-St.Paul area.[18][19]

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+26, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 26 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Minnesota's 5th Congressional District the 39th most Democratic nationally.[20]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.91. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.91 points toward that party.[21]

District history

2016

See also: Minnesota's 5th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Keith Ellison (D) defeated Frank Nelson Drake (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Ellison defeated Lee Bauer and Gregg Iverson in the Democratic primary on August 9, 2016.[22][23]

U.S. House, Minnesota District 5 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngKeith Ellison Incumbent 69.1% 249,964
     Republican Frank Drake 22.3% 80,660
     Legal Marijuana Now Dennis Schuller 8.5% 30,759
     N/A Write-in 0.1% 499
Total Votes 361,882
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State


U.S. House, Minnesota District 5 Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngKeith Ellison Incumbent 91.7% 40,380
Gregg Iverson 4.3% 1,887
Lee Bauer 4% 1,757
Total Votes 44,024
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

2014

See also: Minnesota's 5th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 5th Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Keith Ellison (D) defeated Doug Daggett (R) and Lee Bauer (IND) in the general election.

U.S. House, Minnesota District 5 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngKeith Ellison Incumbent 70.8% 167,079
     Republican Doug Daggett 24% 56,577
     Independence Lee Bauer 5.1% 12,001
     N/A Write-in 0.1% 353
Total Votes 236,010
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Nineteen of 87 Minnesota counties—21.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Beltrami County, Minnesota 9.72% 9.89% 10.15%
Blue Earth County, Minnesota 3.69% 9.48% 12.95%
Chippewa County, Minnesota 28.70% 1.87% 5.87%
Clay County, Minnesota 1.95% 7.92% 16.02%
Fillmore County, Minnesota 21.70% 7.34% 8.26%
Freeborn County, Minnesota 17.24% 14.11% 17.13%
Houston County, Minnesota 13.87% 3.16% 10.69%
Itasca County, Minnesota 16.35% 9.83% 12.92%
Kittson County, Minnesota 22.05% 6.03% 18.54%
Koochiching County, Minnesota 19.85% 9.45% 10.10%
Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota 25.60% 0.90% 5.92%
Mahnomen County, Minnesota 2.92% 18.56% 25.31%
Mower County, Minnesota 7.82% 22.61% 23.61%
Nicollet County, Minnesota 3.04% 7.83% 10.52%
Norman County, Minnesota 13.34% 10.79% 26.94%
Rice County, Minnesota 3.06% 8.27% 11.50%
Swift County, Minnesota 25.57% 9.83% 13.79%
Traverse County, Minnesota 23.30% 4.44% 5.41%
Winona County, Minnesota 2.90% 12.85% 19.09%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Minnesota with 46.4 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.9 percent. In presidential elections between 1860 and 2016, Minnesota voted Republican 50 percent of the time and Democratic 47.5 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Minnesota voted Democratic all five times.[24]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Minnesota. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[25][26]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 68 out of 134 state House districts in Minnesota with an average margin of victory of 27.6 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 62 out of 134 state House districts in Minnesota with an average margin of victory of 30.4 points. Clinton won 12 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 66 out of 134 state House districts in Minnesota with an average margin of victory of 12.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 72 out of 134 state House districts in Minnesota with an average margin of victory of 23.8 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Minnesota heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

  • Republicans had a 77-56 majority in the state House. The state Senate was tied, with 33 Republicans and 33 Democrats.

Trifecta status

  • Minnesota was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Mark Dayton (D) served as governor, while Republicans controlled the state legislature.

2018 elections

See also: Minnesota elections, 2018

Minnesota held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Minnesota
 MinnesotaU.S.
Total population:5,482,435316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):79,6273,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:84.8%73.6%
Black/African American:5.5%12.6%
Asian:4.4%5.1%
Native American:1%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.7%3%
Hispanic/Latino:5%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:92.4%86.7%
College graduation rate:33.7%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$61,492$53,889
Persons below poverty level:12.2%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Minnesota.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Minnesota's three largest cities were Minneapolis (pop. est. 422,000), St. Paul (pop. est. 307,000), and Rochester (pop. est. 116,000).[27]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Minnesota from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Minnesota Secretary of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Minnesota every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Minnesota 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 46.4% Republican Party Donald Trump 44.9% 1.5%
2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 52.7% Republican Party Mitt Romney 45.0% 7.7%
2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 54.1% Republican Party John McCain 43.8% 10.3%
2004 Democratic Party John Kerry 51.1% Republican Party George W. Bush 47.6% 3.5%
2000 Democratic Party Al Gore 47.9% Republican Party George W. Bush 45.5% 2.4%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Minnesota from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Minnesota 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Democratic Party Al Franken 53.2% Republican Party Mike McFadden 42.9% 10.3%
2012 Democratic Party Amy Klobuchar 65.2% Republican Party Kurt Bills 30.5% 34.7%
2008 Democratic Party Al Franken 41.99% Republican Party Norm Coleman 41.98% 0.01%
2006 Democratic Party Amy Klobuchar 58.1% Republican Party Mark Kennedy 37.9% 20.2%
2002 Republican Party Norm Coleman 49.5% Democratic Party Walter Mondale 47.3% 2.2%
2000 Democratic Party Mark Dayton 48.8% Republican Party Rod Grams 43.3% 5.5%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Minnesota.

Election results (Governor), Minnesota 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Democratic Party Mark Dayton 50.1% Republican Party Jeff Johnson 44.5% 5.6%
2010 Democratic Party Mark Dayton 43.6% Republican Party Tom Emmer 43.2% 0.4%
2006 Republican Party Tim Pawlenty 46.7% Democratic Party Mike Hatch 45.7% 1.0%
2002 Republican Party Tim Pawlenty 44.4% Democratic Party Roger Moe 36.5% 7.9%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Minnesota in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Minnesota 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 3 37.5% Democratic Party 5 62.5% D+2
2014 Republican Party 3 37.5% Democratic Party 5 62.5% D+2
2012 Republican Party 3 37.5% Democratic Party 5 62.5% D+2
2010 Republican Party 4 50.0% Democratic Party 4 50.0% Even
2008 Republican Party 3 37.5% Democratic Party 5 62.5% D+2
2006 Republican Party 3 37.5% Democratic Party 5 62.5% D+2
2004 Republican Party 4 50.0% Democratic Party 4 50.0% Even
2002 Republican Party 4 50.0% Democratic Party 4 50.0% Even
2000 Republican Party 3 37.5% Democratic Party 5 62.5% D+2

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Minnesota Party Control: 1992-2024
Four years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
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See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Fox9, "Rep. Ilhan Omar, seven others to run for Congressman Ellison's open seat," June 5, 2018
  2. ↑ Minnpost, "For what it’s worth, CD5 DFLers endorsed Ilhan Omar. But what’s it worth?" June 18 2018
  3. ↑ Twin Cities Pioneer Press, "A refugee who learned English via TV, Ilhan Omar sets her sights on Congress," June 6, 2018
  4. ↑ Mankota Free Press, "Reporter's notebook: Local lawmaker leads new GOP caucus; Mankato native runs for Congress," June 7, 2018
  5. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "If Trump’s executive order had been in effect when I was a boy, I would be dead. And so would my family," January 30, 2017
  6. ↑ MinnPost, "Why Trump’s executive order on immigrants is un-American: a Somali family's story," Jan 30, 2018
  7. ↑ Star Tribune, Trump's attack on Somalis illustrates the harm he could do," August 17, 2016
  8. ↑ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Kelliher
  9. ↑ Illhan Omar for Congress, "About," accessed July 26, 2018
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  11. ↑ "Meet Jamal," accessed June 18, 2018
  12. ↑ "Learn More," accessed July 26, 2018
  13. ↑ "Vision," accessed June 18, 2018
  14. ↑ "Meet Patricia," accessed June 18, 2018
  15. ↑ [http://www.fox9.com/news/dfl-candidates-in-fifth-congressional-district-race-face-off-in-forum Fox9, "Israel-Palestine conflict takes center stage at Minnesota CD-5 forum," August 6, 2018
  16. ↑ KSTP, "5th Congressional District Candidates Discuss Gun Culture During Forum," August 6, 2018
  17. ↑ StarTribune, "5th District DFL Candidates Square off in Forum," August 6, 2018
  18. ↑ St. Cloud Times, "Nearly 74,000 speak at least some Somali in Minnesota," October 22, 2017
  19. ↑ Star Tribune, "Go inside 'Little Mogadishu,' the Somali capital of America," March 2, 2017
  20. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  21. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  22. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings," accessed June 1, 2016
  23. ↑ Politico, "Minnesota House Primaries Results," August 9, 2016
  24. ↑ 270towin.com, "Minnesota," accessed June 29, 2017
  25. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  26. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  27. ↑ Minnesota Demographics, "Minnesota Cities by Population," accessed September 4, 2018


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