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Minnesota's 8th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 11 Democratic primary)

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← 2024
Minnesota's 8th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 2, 2026
Primary: August 11, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Minnesota

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
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, 2026
See also
Minnesota's 8th Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th
Minnesota elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on August 11, 2026, in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
June 2, 2026
August 11, 2026
November 3, 2026



A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Minnesota utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[1]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on Minnesota's 8th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 8

Emanuel Anastos (D), Cyle Cramer (D), John-Paul McBride (D), and Trina Swanson (D) are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 8 on August 11, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Emanuel Anastos
Emanuel Anastos  Candidate Connection
Image of Cyle Cramer
Cyle Cramer  Candidate Connection
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
John-Paul McBride  Candidate Connection
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Trina Swanson

There are no incumbents in this race.

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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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Emanuel Anastos

Image of Emanuel Anastos

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "

As someone running to be in a position where my primary role will be voting yes or no on things and introducing new bills to the House floor, I believe that the specific things I support are more important than who I myself am.

That said, candidates lie about what they do and don’t support pretty frequently, so I understand that proving that I am someone with INTEGRITY is critical to creating trust.

I’m not sure if anyone can truly do that through simply talking about themselves, so I suggest that everyone go check out my Facebook page, Instagram page, and website, all of which can be found through the links included here on my Ballotpedia page…

On these platforms, everyone can see pictures which show more of who I am as a person, and what I love and care about most deeply.

Thank you all, and I appreciate your attention to and support for my campaign!"

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

We should all have healthcare (going to the doctor should be free), we should be able to go to college or trade school tuition free (if we are willing to put in the work to graduate) we should all make a living wage of at least 20$ an hour (if we are willing to work a job), and we should all get a little bit of our tax money given back to us to use to donate to political candidates we like, so the richest people have less of an oversized influence on our democracy.

I was born in Long Island, NY and came to Minnesota for school in 2017, where I attended Carleton College, just south of the Twin Cities, for four years. After living off campus and learning remotely the last year of school, and then graduating in June of 2021, I applied for tribal government jobs all over Minnesota because I sensed that it could offer something more than what mainstream American society could offer. To this date, I’ve worked as an ICW case manager for the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa for over 2 years, have worked for Bois Forte (in general) for almost 4 years, and have lived on Lake Vermilion Reservation for over 3 years.

Now, here I am, running for Congress in the 8th District because I believe that’s the best thing I can do to fight back against both the corruption and the war against our freedoms that has gotten out of control since the 2024 presidential election. But, fighting back is about more than just fighting back. In my eyes, it’s about working towards a vision of equality, where the people as a whole rule this country, instead of just the very few people with the most wealth. 

Cyle Cramer

Image of Cyle Cramer

WebsiteFacebookX

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Cyle Cramer is a Democratic candidate running for the U.S. House to represent Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District. He is a lifelong problem-solver who brings grit, determination, and practical experience to the challenges facing people across northeastern Minnesota. Cramer’s campaign focuses on real-world solutions on the issues people care about. He emphasizes tough negotiation over partisanship and believes in turning good ideas into action. He is committed to showing up, listening, and getting results that matter."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Cyle's service in Congress will be what it’s meant to be: a voice for the people he represents.

Cyle believes in strengthening America, promoting opportunity, and that when an individual’s rights are threatened all of our rights are threatened.

Cyle goal is delivering results and negotiation instead of partisan gridlock.

John-Paul McBride

Silhouette Placeholder Image.png Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "For as long as I can remember, I have had a burning passion for politics and math. I am smart, creative, dedicated to making America a better place. At a time when Democratic voters demand outside the box thinking, I was born outside the box, and I have no desire to find a way in. As an autistic man, I can’t rely on an intuitive sense of how other minds should work; I have to do it the hard way through conversational interaction. I think that’s why I’ve been able to find friendships across ideological boundaries. Which isn’t to say that I’m willing, or if I’m going to be completely honest, capable of backing down from a worthwhile fight."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Americans need universal healthcare. Healthcare that covers everything from eyeglasses to elder care to dental care and everything else. Healthcare without signup windows or marketplaces or other administratve complexities that are legible only to senior citizens. Healthcare that’s there for the type of young men that jump off of stuff to impress their friends.

Climate change is an existential danger to humanity as a whole. Too many Democrats have taken an incoherent position, touting green investments and bragging about increasing fossil fuel prodution at the same time. Meanwhile, Republicans have embraced the total nihilism of climate denial. We are on the verge of an apocalypse, and we need to act like it.

Finally, Congress needs a security force that can protect its members while they conduct oversight and to prevent another 1/6 attack. We can no longer rely on a corrupt, partisan Supreme Court to keep our fascist president in check. The Department of Homeland Security must be broken up. Furthermore, ICE must be destroyed.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Minnesota

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Emanuel Anastos Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Cyle Cramer Democratic Party $901 $1,023 $2,795 As of December 31, 2025
JohnClark Jarbi Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
John-Paul McBride Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Trina Swanson Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. 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.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_mn_congressional_district_08.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

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

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+7. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 7 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Minnesota's 8th the 168th most Republican district nationally.[2]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
42.0%56.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Minnesota, 2024

Minnesota presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 21 Democratic wins
  • 10 Republican wins
  • 1 other win
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R R R P[3] R R R R D D D D D R R D D D R D D D D D D D D D D D D D
See also: Party control of Minnesota state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Minnesota's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Minnesota
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 4 6
Republican 0 4 4
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 8 10

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Minnesota's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Minnesota, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorDemocratic Party Tim Walz
Lieutenant GovernorDemocratic Party Peggy Flanagan
Secretary of StateDemocratic Party Steve Simon
Attorney GeneralDemocratic Party Keith Ellison

State legislature

Minnesota State Senate

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 34
     Republican Party 33
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 67

Minnesota House of Representatives

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 65
     Republican Party 67
     Other 0
     Vacancies 2
Total 134

Trifecta control

Minnesota Party Control: 1992-2025
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 25
Governor R R R R R R R I I I I R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R D D D D R R R R R R D D D
House D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D R R D D R R R R D D D D D D S

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Minnesota in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Minnesota, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Minnesota U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1,000 $300 6/2/2026 Source
Minnesota U.S. House Unaffiliated 1,000 N/A 6/2/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Minnesota Legislature, "Minn. Stat. § 204D.08," accessed November 17, 2025
  2. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  3. ↑ Progressive Party


Minnesota's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Amy Klobuchar (D)
Tina Smith (D)
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)


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