Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.

Minnesota's 6th Congressional District election, 2020

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search



2022
2018
Minnesota's 6th Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 2, 2020
Primary: August 11, 2020
General: November 3, 2020

Pre-election incumbent:
Tom Emmer (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Minnesota
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
Minnesota's 6th Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th
Minnesota elections, 2020
U.S. Congress elections, 2020
U.S. Senate elections, 2020
U.S. House elections, 2020

All U.S. congressional districts, including the 6th Congressional District of Minnesota, held elections in 2020.

Incumbent Tom Emmer won election in the general election for U.S. House Minnesota District 6.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
June 2, 2020
August 11, 2020
November 3, 2020


Heading into the election the incumbent was Republican Tom Emmer, who was first elected in 2014.

The 6th District includes Benton, Sherburne, and Wright counties as well as portions of Anoka, Carver, Hennepin, Stearns, and Washington counties.[1]

Post-election analysis

The table below compares the vote totals in the 2020 presidential election and 2020 U.S. House election for this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

Presidential and congressional election results, Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, 2020
Race Presidential U.S. House
Democratic candidate Democratic Party 38.8 34.2
Republican candidate Republican Party 59 65.7
Difference 20.2 31.5

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Minnesota modified its absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: The absentee/mail-in ballot postmark deadline was extended to November 3, 2020; the receipt deadline was extended to November 10, 2020. The witness requirement for absentee/mail-in ballots was suspended.
  • Candidate filing procedures: General election candidates were allowed to submit filing forms and petitions electronically.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Explore Election Results site ad border blue.png

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Minnesota District 6

Incumbent Tom Emmer defeated Tawnja Zahradka in the general election for U.S. House Minnesota District 6 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tom Emmer
Tom Emmer (R)
 
65.7
 
270,901
Image of Tawnja Zahradka
Tawnja Zahradka (D) Candidate Connection
 
34.2
 
140,853
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
553

Total votes: 412,307
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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 6

Tawnja Zahradka advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 6 on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tawnja Zahradka
Tawnja Zahradka Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
29,445

Total votes: 29,445
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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 6

Incumbent Tom Emmer defeated Patrick Munro in the Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 6 on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tom Emmer
Tom Emmer
 
87.2
 
30,654
Image of Patrick Munro
Patrick Munro
 
12.8
 
4,518

Total votes: 35,172
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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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.[2]

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.[3][4]

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.

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 R+12, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 12 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Minnesota's 6th Congressional District the 111th most Republican nationally.[5]

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 0.94. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.94 points toward that party.[6]

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[7]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[8][9][10]

Race ratings: Minnesota's 6th Congressional District election, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Candidate ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for 6th Congressional District candidates in Minnesota in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Minnesota, click here.

Filing requirements, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Minnesota 6th Congressional District Major party 0 N/A $300.00 Fixed number 6/2/2020 Source
Minnesota 6th Congressional District Unaffiliated 1,000 Fixed number N/A N/A 6/2/2020 Source

District election history

2018

See also: Minnesota's 6th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Minnesota District 6

Incumbent Tom Emmer defeated Ian Todd in the general election for U.S. House Minnesota District 6 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tom Emmer
Tom Emmer (R)
 
61.1
 
192,931
Image of Ian Todd
Ian Todd (D) Candidate Connection
 
38.7
 
122,332
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
463

Total votes: 315,726
(100.00% precincts reporting)
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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 6

Ian Todd advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 6 on August 14, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Ian Todd
Ian Todd Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
33,853

Total votes: 33,853
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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 6

Incumbent Tom Emmer defeated A.J. Kern and Patrick Munro in the Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 6 on August 14, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tom Emmer
Tom Emmer
 
76.6
 
34,250
Image of A.J. Kern
A.J. Kern
 
17.7
 
7,897
Image of Patrick Munro
Patrick Munro
 
5.8
 
2,575

Total votes: 44,722
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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Minnesota's 6th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Tom Emmer (R) defeated David Snyder (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Emmer defeated A.J. Kern and Patrick Munro in the Republican primary, while Snyder defeated Judy Evelyn Adams and Bob Helland to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on August 9, 2016.[11][12]

U.S. House, Minnesota District 6 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngTom Emmer Incumbent 65.6% 235,380
     Democratic David Snyder 34.3% 123,008
     N/A Write-in 0.1% 536
Total Votes 358,924
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State


U.S. House, Minnesota District 6 Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Snyder 46% 4,402
Judy Adams 37.3% 3,569
Bob Helland 16.7% 1,595
Total Votes 9,566
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State
U.S. House, Minnesota District 6 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngTom Emmer Incumbent 68.7% 13,590
A.J. Kern 26.4% 5,219
Patrick Munro 4.9% 962
Total Votes 19,771
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

2014

See also: Minnesota's 6th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 6th Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Tom Emmer (R) defeated Joe Perske (D) and John Denney (IND) in the general election.

U.S. House, Minnesota District 6 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngTom Emmer 56.3% 133,328
     Democratic Joe Perske 38.4% 90,926
     Independence John Denney 5.3% 12,457
     N/A Write-in 0.1% 135
Total Votes 236,846
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

See also

External links

Footnotes


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
Tom Emmer (R)
District 7
District 8
Democratic Party (6)
Republican Party (4)