Minnesota's 8th Congressional District elections, 2014

U.S. House, Minnesota District 8 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Rick Nolan Incumbent	48.5%	129,090
	Republican	Stewart Mills	47.1%	125,358
	Green	Skip Sandman	4.3%	11,450
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	185
Total Votes				266,083
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

2016 → ← 2012

Minnesota's 8th Congressional District

General Election Date November 4, 2014

Primary Date August 12, 2014

November 4 Election Winner: Rick Nolan

Incumbent prior to election: Rick Nolan

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Toss Up FairVote's Monopoly Politics: Toss Up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss Up

Minnesota U.S. House Elections District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8

2014 U.S. Senate Elections

2014 U.S. House Elections

The 8th Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Rick Nolan (D) defeated challengers Stewart Mills (R) and Ray "Skip" Sandman (G) in the general election. None of the candidates faced challenges in the primary election on August 12, 2014.

Rep. Nolan defeated Mills by less than 4,000 votes. Leading up to the election, The Cook Political Report, FairVote's Monopoly Politics and Sabato's Crystal Ball all rated the race as a toss-up. Ballotpedia named Minnesota's 8th as a U.S. House battleground district in 2014.

On October 1, 2014, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) released an internal poll showing Nolan ahead by 11 points, leading 48-37. Later in October, a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll showed Mills leading Nolan 47-39.

According to OpenSecrets, Minnesota's 8th District ranked second highest in satellite spending out of all 2014 U.S. House races. Groups spent a total of $12,563,539 on the election, second to the $13,489,481 spent in California's 7th District. The two largest contributors were the DCCC, which spent $4,350,664 opposing Mills, and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which spent $3,249,026 opposing Nolan.

According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Nolan raised a total of $1,853,675.02, and Mills raised $1,897,641.62.

Mills emphasized his stance on gun rights and criticized Nolan for wanting to limit magazine capacity and ban semi-automatic weapons. Nolan criticized Mills for inheriting millions of dollars.

Minnesota's 8th was historically a Democratic-leaning district, although Republican Chip Cravaack held the seat from 2011-2013. Nolan won the seat back for the Democrats in 2012, with an 8.9 percent margin of victory over Cravaack. That same year, President Barack Obama (D) won in the district by 5.5 percent.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
June 3, 2014	August 12, 2014	November 4, 2014

Primary: 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.

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

Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters needed to register on election day, or pre-register by July 22, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 14, 2014 (21 days days prior to the election).

See also: Minnesota elections, 2014

Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Rick Nolan (D), who was first elected in 2012.

The 8th District covers the northeastern part of Minnesota. The district includes the counties of Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Cook, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, St. Louis, and Wadena. A section of Beltrami County is also included in the district.

Candidates

General election candidates

• Rick Nolan - Incumbent a
• Stewart Mills
• Ray "Skip" Sandman

August 12, 2014, primary results

Democratic Primary

• Rick Nolan - Incumbenta

Green Primary

• Ray "Skip" Sandmana

Republican Primary

• Stewart Millsa

Failed to file

• Eric Meyer (Independence)

Race background

In the 2012 election in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, challenger Rick Nolan secured election by an 8.9 percent margin of victory. The district was considered a toss-up with Fairvote indicating that as a result of redistricting, the district had gone from an even balance between Democrats and Republicans to a 2 percent edge in favor of the Democrats. Incumbent Chip Cravaack spent $2,385,666 and Nolan spent $1,194,314.

In 2014, the district was focused on by both the National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red to Blue List."

The National Republican Congressional Committee added Stewart Mills (R) to their "On the Radar" list. According to the NRCC, candidates that made the list received "...the tools they need to run successful, winning campaigns against their Democratic opponents."

Elections

General election results

The 8th Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Rick Nolan (D) defeated challengers Stewart Mills (R) and Ray "Skip" Sandman (G) in the general election.

U.S. House, Minnesota District 8 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Rick Nolan Incumbent	48.5%	129,090
	Republican	Stewart Mills	47.1%	125,358
	Green	Skip Sandman	4.3%	11,450
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	185
Total Votes				266,083
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Issues

See also: Energy and the 2014 election: the ballots and beyond

Comments on ISIS

See also: ISIS insurgency in Iraq and Syria

Rep. Rick Nolan (D) spoke against taking military action against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Nolan asked President Barack Obama not to make a unilateral decision to mobilize the military without the consent of Congress. On August 29, 2014, Nolan stated, "American blood and treasury should not be made without the full consideration by all 535 members of the Congress of the United States." He added, "When we get ourselves involved in that conflict, then we become a part of the problem and the solution becomes ours."

Shortly after making these comments, Nolan issued a statement regarding ISIS. Nolan wrote, "I encourage them to employ the same intelligence resources – and the same selective, highly effective means they used to bring down Osama Bin Laden. Special operations of this kind do not involve U.S. troops on the ground, the killing of innocent people, or the re-involvement of the United States in another terribly destructive, expensive, open-ended conflict in that region.”

Nolan's Republican challenger in the general election, Stewart Mills, disagreed with Nolan, saying, "Like it or not we have to play some role here. And for Congressman Nolan to take those positions, I think, leaves America in an even weaker position than we have been in the past. We can't lead from behind. We have to lead."

According to a poll published in The Washington Post, about 91 percent of voters believed ISIS to be a serious threat, and 71 percent supported the U.S. government ordering air strikes against the Sunni insurgents in Iraq.

Campaign themes

Rick Nolan

Rick Nolan listed the following issues, among others, on his campaign website:

“	Rebuilding America and the Middle Class: As a small business owner, Rick knows what it takes to create good-paying jobs. He knows that if we’re going to rebuild the middle class, we’ve got to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, and end nation-building overseas to pay down the deficit - so we can invest in infrastructure, manufacturing, mining, the environment, energy, research, health, and education. Protecting Social Security & Medicare: Seniors have earned their Medicare and Social Security benefits. They’ve paid for them with every paycheck since their first day on the job. Rick will fight to protect Medicare from being turned over to the private insurance companies, which would mean higher costs and less treatment. Rick will always protect Medicare and Social Security from radical plans that would privatize or undermine them. Minnesota’s Farmers: Rick Nolan is working to bring stability and security to family farmers and our rural communities. He was recently awarded the National Farmers Union Golden Triangle Award for his leadership on family farmer and rural issues. Rick has worked hard to pass crucial dairy reforms to prevent skyrocketing milk costs, extend conservation programs, and promote organic farming and Beginning Farmer and Rancher programs. Working on the Farm Bill in 2013, Rick successfully included programs to promote the benefits of wood products, to give Minnesota’s timber industry a needed boost. The Environment: The environment, our air, lakes, rivers and forests, are crucial to our 8th district economy. The degradation of our air and water, along with global warming, threaten the very survival of our species here on earth. We must protect the environment in order to preserve our way of life and our tourism industry. Rick works to protect northern Minnesota’s tourism industry and our lakes, rivers, and streams from dangerous invasive species such as Asian carp, and has passed programs that help farmers turn land over for conservation. Rick will continue to fight for funding to clean up pollution in the St. Louis River and for Lake Superior coastal cleanup and management, and has been called a “champion for the environment” by the League of Conservation Voters. Exports and Jobs: Rick has lived and traveled all over the world. Rick has worked to expand the Port of Duluth and its role in making Minnesota a leading export state. He has fought against “fast-tracking” the ongoing TPP trade negotiations, and will continue to stand up for fair trade and tax policies to encourage and protect good American jobs. He has voted to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, a job-creator that helps create and sustain nearly 200,000 jobs across the country, and helps finance nearly a dozen businesses in Minnesota’s 8th District alone. At the Minnesota World Trade Center Corporation, he worked with Governor Rudy Perpich to help create 328,000 jobs and put Minnesota on the map in the global economy.	”
—Rick Nolan, campaign website archive

Stewart Mills

Stewart Mills listed the following issues on his campaign website:

“	Grow the economy from Main Street Up, not Wall Street Down: The Eighth District is a Main Street economy and job growth here comes from the ground up. That means we need tax reform that’s geared toward small business growth. Stewart doesn’t believe that Washington creates jobs- entrepreneurs and business owners create jobs. Natural Resources: Stewart believes that one way to increase employment here in Minnesota’s Eighth District is to have federal policies which will allow us to fully capitalize on our mineral and timber resources. It’s critical that Washington stop blocking our ability to extract natural resources. That’s why Stewart supports the development of the Polymet Project. Respect for Our Constitutional Rights: As a hunter and a competitive shooter, Stewart is staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, but he also believes that the entire Constitution must be protected and upheld in Washington. Healthcare Reform: Stewart believes that Obamacare has failed in achieving its stated goal- it set out to insure the uninsured, but it has resulted in “uninsuring” the previously insured. With his background in administering Fleet Farm’s self managed health plans, Stewart knows how to implement market based healthcare reforms that will increase the supply of medical services, reduce the demand through prevention and actually make the healthcare delivery more efficient. Cut Wasteful Spending and Rein in the National Debt: Our nation is more than $17 trillion in debt and politicians in Washington keep kicking the can down the road. We are quickly approaching the point where the annual debt servicing payments will grow to unsustainable levels. Our debt is endangering our children’s future and threatening our ability to leave this nation in better shape than we found it.	”
—Stewart Mills, campaign website archive

Polls

Rick Nolan v. Stewart Mills
Poll	Rick Nolan (D)	Stewart Mills (R)	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
KSTP/SurveyUSA October 14-15, 2014	39%	47%	11%	+/-4.2	555
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Endorsements

Stewart Mills

Stewart Mills received the following endorsements:

• Sixteen Minnesota state legislators, including Kurt Daudt, Michelle Benson, Sean Nienow and Carrie Ruud
• The Minnesota Gun Owners PAC
• Minnesota's 8th Congressional District Republicans

Campaign contributions

Rick Nolan

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Nolan's reports.

Rick Nolan (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	February 19, 2014	$41,150.16	$120,703.67	$(27,976.93)	$133,876.90
July Quarterly	February 19, 2014	$133,876.90	$134,764.34	$(59,115.94)	$209,525.30
October Quarterly	February 19, 2014	$209,525.30	$131,472.26	$(62,998.33)	$277,999.23
Year-End Quarterly	February 19, 2014	$277,999.23	$144,397.73	$(107,395.74)	$315,001.22
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$315,001.22	$265,772.54	$(102,557.79)	$478,215.97
July Quarterly	July 23, 2014	$478,215.97	$285,201.56	$(184,231.20)	$579,186.33
Pre-Primary	August 2, 2014	$579,186.33	$88,621.22	$(43,312.85)	$624,494.70
October Quarterly	October 15, 2014	$624,494.70	$558,617.71	$(657,417.03)	$525,695.38
Pre-General	October 23, 2014	$525,695.38	$124,123.99	$(270,303.21)	$379,516.16
			Running totals
			$1,853,675.02	$(1,515,309.02)

Stewart Mills

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Mills' reports.

Stewart Mills (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$0	$243,826.30	$(9,383.77)	$234,442.53
Year-End	January 31, 2014	$234,442.53	$205,263.98	$(133,416.76)	$306,289.75
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$306,289.75	$211,694.14	$(162,245.00)	$355,738.89
July Quarterly	July 15, 2014	$355,738.89	$476,495.08	$(403,129.10)	$429,104.87
Pre-Primary	July 31, 2014	$429,104.87	$81,093.00	$(153,579.89)	$356,617.98
October Quarterly	October 15, 2014	$356,617.98	$482,331.12	$(584,008.36)	$254,940.74
Pre-General	October 23, 2014	$254,940.74	$196,938.00	$(253,965.13)	$197,913.61
			Running totals
			$1,897,641.62	$(1,699,728.01)

Media

Stewart Mills

• Stewart Mills released his first television ad in May 2014, discussing his history with Mills Fleet Farm and how his experiences affected his views on Obamacare.

• In a June 2014 campaign ad, Mills' wife spoke of his community involvement, including the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event to raise money for victims of domestic violence.

• In July 2014, the House Majority PAC released an ad criticizing Mills for arguing against raising the minimum wage and wanting tax breaks for the wealthy. This ad was taken off of two television stations after complaints that it was misleading due to a spliced video clip of Mills. In the video, Mills was quoted as saying, "Folks saying that 'the wealthy, the wealthy are not paying their fair share, the 2 percent, the 1 percent, whatever percent you want, is personally offensive," when in reality he had said, "To be singled out as a deadbeat is personally offensive." The PAC and their supporters criticized the stations of taking the ad down for political reasons.

Mills 2014 campaign ad

Mills ad featuring his wife

House Majority PAC ad attacking Mills

District history

Candidate ballot access
Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

2012

Incumbent Chip Cravaack was defeated by Democratic challenger Rick Nolan in the general election on November 6, 2012.

U.S. House, Minnesota District 8 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Rick Nolan	54.3%	191,976
	Republican	Chip Cravaack Incumbent	45.4%	160,520
	NA	Write-in	0.3%	1,167
Total Votes				353,663
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State, "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" (dead link)

2010

On November 2, 2010, Chip Cravaack (R) won election to the United States House. He defeated Jim Oberstar (D), Timothy Olson (Independence) and Richard "George" Burton (Constitution) in the general election.

U.S. House, Minnesota District 8 General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Chip Cravaak	48.6%	133,490
	Democratic	Jim Oberstar	47%	129,091
	Independence	Timothy Olson	4.3%	11,876
	Constitution	Richard George	0%	132
Total Votes				274,589

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2014
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2014

External links

• Minnesota Elections & Voting

Footnotes

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Minnesota's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Amy Klobuchar (D)

Tina Smith (D)

Representatives

District 1

Brad Finstad (R)

District 2

Angie Craig (D)

District 3

Kelly Morrison (D)

District 4

Betty McCollum (D)

District 5

Ilhan Omar (D)

District 6

Tom Emmer (R)

District 7

Michelle Fischbach (R)

District 8

Pete Stauber (R)

Democratic Party (6)

Republican Party (4)