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Minnesota's 8th Congressional District election, 2020
- Election date: Nov. 3
- Registration deadline(s): Oct. 13
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Recount laws
- Early voting starts: Sept. 18
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (postmarked); Nov. 10 (received)
- Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
- Voter ID: No ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
2022 →
← 2018
|
| Minnesota's 8th Congressional District |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: June 2, 2020 |
| Primary: August 11, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Pete Stauber (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Minnesota |
| Race ratings |
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 |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th 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 8th Congressional District of Minnesota, held elections in 2020.
Incumbent Pete Stauber won election in the general election for U.S. House Minnesota District 8.
| Candidate filing deadline | Primary election | General election |
|---|---|---|
Heading into the election the incumbent was Republican Pete Stauber, who was first elected in 2018.
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.[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 8th Congressional District, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Presidential | U.S. House |
Democratic candidate  |
41.7 | 37.6 |
Republican candidate  |
56.3 | 56.8 |
| Difference | 14.6 | 19.2 |
Election procedure changes in 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.
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for U.S. House Minnesota District 8
Incumbent Pete Stauber defeated Quinn Nystrom, Judith Schwartzbacker, John Evans, and David Pipho in the general election for U.S. House Minnesota District 8 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Pete Stauber (R) | 56.8 | 223,432 |
 | Quinn Nystrom (D) | 37.6 | 147,853 | |
| Judith Schwartzbacker (Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota) | 5.6 | 22,190 | ||
| John Evans (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| David Pipho (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 236 | ||
| Total votes: 393,711 | |||
 = 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 8
Quinn Nystrom advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 8 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Quinn Nystrom | 100.0 | 46,050 |
| Total votes: 46,050 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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 8
Incumbent Pete Stauber defeated Harry Welty in the Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 8 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pete Stauber | 93.7 | 39,058 |
 | Harry Welty | 6.3 | 2,606 | |
| Total votes: 41,664 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota primary election
Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 8
Judith Schwartzbacker advanced from the Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 8 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Judith Schwartzbacker | 100.0 | 540 | |
| Total votes: 540 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1A | 43.15% | 54.54% | R+11.4 | 27.87% | 64.99% | R+37.1 | R |
| 1B | 46.10% | 51.92% | R+5.8 | 31.45% | 61.37% | R+29.9 | R |
| 2A | 48.08% | 50.09% | R+2 | 33.59% | 60.04% | R+26.4 | R |
| 2B | 42.17% | 56.05% | R+13.9 | 29.64% | 64.36% | R+34.7 | R |
| 3A | 55.31% | 42.36% | D+13 | 43.14% | 49.65% | R+6.5 | D |
| 3B | 60.19% | 38.11% | D+22.1 | 50.13% | 42.59% | D+7.5 | D |
| 4A | 55.32% | 42.31% | D+13 | 48.97% | 41.71% | D+7.3 | D |
| 4B | 46.65% | 51.41% | R+4.8 | 35.41% | 57.18% | R+21.8 | D |
| 5A | 52.05% | 45.83% | D+6.2 | 39.67% | 51.97% | R+12.3 | R |
| 5B | 49.48% | 48.58% | D+0.9 | 35.93% | 57.00% | R+21.1 | R |
| 6A | 63.20% | 34.57% | D+28.6 | 44.68% | 47.85% | R+3.2 | D |
| 6B | 61.82% | 35.90% | D+25.9 | 45.05% | 47.77% | R+2.7 | D |
| 7A | 67.15% | 30.27% | D+36.9 | 62.12% | 28.28% | D+33.8 | D |
| 7B | 69.99% | 27.63% | D+42.4 | 59.01% | 32.66% | D+26.3 | D |
| 8A | 39.32% | 59.07% | R+19.8 | 31.05% | 62.92% | R+31.9 | R |
| 8B | 40.24% | 57.98% | R+17.7 | 27.72% | 65.66% | R+37.9 | R |
| 9A | 37.61% | 60.36% | R+22.7 | 23.48% | 70.76% | R+47.3 | R |
| 9B | 37.60% | 60.41% | R+22.8 | 21.44% | 73.05% | R+51.6 | R |
| 10A | 42.68% | 55.47% | R+12.8 | 31.71% | 61.41% | R+29.7 | R |
| 10B | 44.58% | 53.66% | R+9.1 | 31.38% | 62.81% | R+31.4 | R |
| 11A | 62.19% | 35.79% | D+26.4 | 46.93% | 45.13% | D+1.8 | D |
| 11B | 46.72% | 50.92% | R+4.2 | 31.58% | 61.39% | R+29.8 | R |
| 12A | 46.30% | 51.70% | R+5.4 | 32.87% | 59.48% | R+26.6 | R |
| 12B | 36.32% | 61.98% | R+25.7 | 23.78% | 70.60% | R+46.8 | R |
| 13A | 41.20% | 57.04% | R+15.8 | 29.40% | 63.98% | R+34.6 | R |
| 13B | 40.74% | 57.46% | R+16.7 | 29.76% | 63.36% | R+33.6 | R |
| 14A | 47.70% | 50.25% | R+2.6 | 40.14% | 51.73% | R+11.6 | R |
| 14B | 53.28% | 43.56% | D+9.7 | 43.47% | 46.88% | R+3.4 | R |
| 15A | 42.24% | 55.67% | R+13.4 | 26.60% | 66.72% | R+40.1 | R |
| 15B | 34.92% | 62.92% | R+28 | 21.90% | 71.37% | R+49.5 | R |
| 16A | 45.53% | 52.33% | R+6.8 | 31.31% | 60.77% | R+29.5 | R |
| 16B | 40.08% | 57.64% | R+17.6 | 26.83% | 64.99% | R+38.2 | R |
| 17A | 47.24% | 50.94% | R+3.7 | 29.82% | 63.25% | R+33.4 | R |
| 17B | 47.10% | 51.19% | R+4.1 | 34.89% | 57.60% | R+22.7 | R |
| 18A | 39.80% | 57.83% | R+18 | 26.88% | 65.04% | R+38.2 | R |
| 18B | 37.06% | 60.70% | R+23.6 | 25.23% | 67.02% | R+41.8 | R |
| 19A | 52.51% | 45.09% | D+7.4 | 43.51% | 47.62% | R+4.1 | D |
| 19B | 57.05% | 39.91% | D+17.1 | 48.70% | 40.94% | D+7.8 | D |
| 20A | 40.38% | 57.73% | R+17.4 | 30.47% | 62.58% | R+32.1 | R |
| 20B | 53.95% | 43.71% | D+10.2 | 47.02% | 45.86% | D+1.2 | D |
| 21A | 51.06% | 46.99% | D+4.1 | 40.39% | 51.63% | R+11.2 | R |
| 21B | 44.07% | 53.85% | R+9.8 | 30.94% | 61.07% | R+30.1 | R |
| 22A | 41.53% | 56.48% | R+14.9 | 26.80% | 66.15% | R+39.4 | R |
| 22B | 44.04% | 54.37% | R+10.3 | 30.63% | 63.03% | R+32.4 | R |
| 23A | 39.08% | 58.83% | R+19.8 | 26.82% | 66.32% | R+39.5 | R |
| 23B | 47.30% | 50.57% | R+3.3 | 32.70% | 59.47% | R+26.8 | R |
| 24A | 45.64% | 52.20% | R+6.6 | 33.70% | 57.84% | R+24.1 | R |
| 24B | 47.07% | 50.66% | R+3.6 | 33.44% | 58.77% | R+25.3 | R |
| 25A | 45.24% | 52.32% | R+7.1 | 37.03% | 52.94% | R+15.9 | R |
| 25B | 53.14% | 44.51% | D+8.6 | 50.23% | 40.22% | D+10 | D |
| 26A | 57.64% | 39.78% | D+17.9 | 54.11% | 36.72% | D+17.4 | D |
| 26B | 44.47% | 53.59% | R+9.1 | 38.48% | 53.17% | R+14.7 | R |
| 27A | 55.57% | 42.31% | D+13.3 | 37.42% | 55.76% | R+18.3 | R |
| 27B | 59.95% | 37.84% | D+22.1 | 41.96% | 50.58% | R+8.6 | D |
| 28A | 56.63% | 40.82% | D+15.8 | 46.44% | 44.13% | D+2.3 | D |
| 28B | 51.67% | 46.36% | D+5.3 | 37.30% | 55.31% | R+18 | R |
| 29A | 37.73% | 60.22% | R+22.5 | 28.82% | 63.10% | R+34.3 | R |
| 29B | 40.42% | 57.50% | R+17.1 | 30.71% | 61.38% | R+30.7 | R |
| 30A | 39.60% | 58.57% | R+19 | 30.48% | 61.61% | R+31.1 | R |
| 30B | 36.49% | 61.79% | R+25.3 | 29.58% | 62.31% | R+32.7 | R |
| 31A | 35.58% | 62.46% | R+26.9 | 23.94% | 69.10% | R+45.2 | R |
| 31B | 38.58% | 59.53% | R+20.9 | 29.00% | 63.74% | R+34.7 | R |
| 32A | 41.06% | 56.85% | R+15.8 | 28.13% | 64.23% | R+36.1 | R |
| 32B | 42.98% | 55.07% | R+12.1 | 31.50% | 60.69% | R+29.2 | R |
| 33A | 36.20% | 62.39% | R+26.2 | 37.84% | 54.78% | R+16.9 | R |
| 33B | 43.71% | 54.67% | R+11 | 46.18% | 45.68% | D+0.5 | R |
| 34A | 40.35% | 58.12% | R+17.8 | 40.80% | 51.26% | R+10.5 | R |
| 34B | 46.78% | 51.60% | R+4.8 | 47.91% | 43.62% | D+4.3 | R |
| 35A | 45.40% | 52.32% | R+6.9 | 37.77% | 53.46% | R+15.7 | R |
| 35B | 41.04% | 57.50% | R+16.5 | 36.48% | 55.65% | R+19.2 | R |
| 36A | 48.54% | 49.44% | R+0.9 | 44.09% | 47.07% | R+3 | R |
| 36B | 53.38% | 45.11% | D+8.3 | 52.16% | 40.08% | D+12.1 | D |
| 37A | 53.32% | 44.53% | D+8.8 | 45.38% | 46.05% | R+0.7 | D |
| 37B | 48.64% | 49.49% | R+0.9 | 43.74% | 48.04% | R+4.3 | R |
| 38A | 44.17% | 53.89% | R+9.7 | 40.36% | 51.11% | R+10.7 | R |
| 38B | 46.39% | 51.99% | R+5.6 | 45.39% | 46.56% | R+1.2 | R |
| 39A | 45.12% | 53.25% | R+8.1 | 40.85% | 51.57% | R+10.7 | R |
| 39B | 47.78% | 50.62% | R+2.8 | 45.97% | 46.25% | R+0.3 | R |
| 40A | 69.71% | 28.69% | D+41 | 67.81% | 26.13% | D+41.7 | D |
| 40B | 68.60% | 29.42% | D+39.2 | 65.29% | 27.68% | D+37.6 | D |
| 41A | 59.61% | 38.36% | D+21.2 | 55.79% | 35.28% | D+20.5 | D |
| 41B | 62.30% | 35.32% | D+27 | 62.11% | 29.12% | D+33 | D |
| 42A | 51.48% | 46.50% | D+5 | 52.61% | 38.39% | D+14.2 | R |
| 42B | 56.76% | 41.28% | D+15.5 | 56.05% | 35.37% | D+20.7 | D |
| 43A | 56.52% | 41.92% | D+14.6 | 54.01% | 38.15% | D+15.9 | D |
| 43B | 57.50% | 40.33% | D+17.2 | 52.35% | 39.35% | D+13 | D |
| 44A | 47.99% | 50.66% | R+2.7 | 53.47% | 38.83% | D+14.6 | R |
| 44B | 54.39% | 44.30% | D+10.1 | 57.27% | 35.36% | D+21.9 | D |
| 45A | 59.17% | 38.72% | D+20.5 | 58.13% | 33.53% | D+24.6 | D |
| 45B | 63.39% | 34.34% | D+29.1 | 64.02% | 27.43% | D+36.6 | D |
| 46A | 64.31% | 33.66% | D+30.7 | 66.50% | 25.81% | D+40.7 | D |
| 46B | 65.79% | 32.01% | D+33.8 | 68.45% | 23.31% | D+45.1 | D |
| 47A | 35.32% | 63.07% | R+27.7 | 31.29% | 60.91% | R+29.6 | R |
| 47B | 42.17% | 56.19% | R+14 | 44.19% | 47.17% | R+3 | R |
| 48A | 52.14% | 46.19% | D+5.9 | 55.55% | 36.50% | D+19.1 | D |
| 48B | 46.72% | 51.70% | R+5 | 53.09% | 39.54% | D+13.6 | R |
| 49A | 52.29% | 46.68% | D+5.6 | 60.37% | 32.60% | D+27.8 | R |
| 49B | 52.45% | 46.18% | D+6.3 | 56.50% | 36.35% | D+20.2 | D |
| 50A | 63.81% | 33.98% | D+29.8 | 61.93% | 29.97% | D+32 | D |
| 50B | 56.96% | 40.99% | D+16 | 55.51% | 36.29% | D+19.2 | D |
| 51A | 55.56% | 42.44% | D+13.1 | 54.45% | 37.27% | D+17.2 | D |
| 51B | 51.44% | 46.79% | D+4.7 | 54.17% | 37.06% | D+17.1 | D |
| 52A | 58.72% | 39.32% | D+19.4 | 56.76% | 34.99% | D+21.8 | D |
| 52B | 52.90% | 45.36% | D+7.5 | 49.95% | 42.08% | D+7.9 | R |
| 53A | 56.63% | 41.59% | D+15 | 54.59% | 37.63% | D+17 | D |
| 53B | 46.78% | 51.95% | R+5.2 | 50.81% | 42.01% | D+8.8 | R |
| 54A | 55.87% | 41.75% | D+14.1 | 46.83% | 43.55% | D+3.3 | R |
| 54B | 49.32% | 48.74% | D+0.6 | 42.76% | 48.63% | R+5.9 | R |
| 55A | 46.18% | 51.67% | R+5.5 | 43.39% | 47.89% | R+4.5 | R |
| 55B | 38.11% | 60.15% | R+22 | 34.43% | 57.98% | R+23.5 | R |
| 56A | 47.26% | 50.85% | R+3.6 | 47.12% | 44.13% | D+3 | R |
| 56B | 49.26% | 48.97% | D+0.3 | 48.62% | 43.89% | D+4.7 | R |
| 57A | 50.85% | 47.34% | D+3.5 | 49.06% | 42.78% | D+6.3 | D |
| 57B | 48.75% | 49.64% | R+0.9 | 48.21% | 43.72% | D+4.5 | R |
| 58A | 42.24% | 56.02% | R+13.8 | 40.36% | 51.99% | R+11.6 | R |
| 58B | 42.46% | 55.75% | R+13.3 | 34.86% | 57.04% | R+22.2 | R |
| 59A | 84.23% | 13.96% | D+70.3 | 78.85% | 13.74% | D+65.1 | D |
| 59B | 80.65% | 17.23% | D+63.4 | 79.46% | 13.04% | D+66.4 | D |
| 60A | 77.47% | 18.61% | D+58.9 | 76.38% | 14.48% | D+61.9 | D |
| 60B | 76.39% | 19.31% | D+57.1 | 79.57% | 11.88% | D+67.7 | D |
| 61A | 78.23% | 19.40% | D+58.8 | 81.47% | 12.06% | D+69.4 | D |
| 61B | 78.20% | 19.94% | D+58.3 | 81.29% | 12.45% | D+68.8 | D |
| 62A | 86.72% | 9.26% | D+77.5 | 84.08% | 7.57% | D+76.5 | D |
| 62B | 86.87% | 10.09% | D+76.8 | 85.70% | 6.89% | D+78.8 | D |
| 63A | 82.84% | 14.33% | D+68.5 | 81.97% | 10.62% | D+71.4 | D |
| 63B | 73.83% | 23.99% | D+49.8 | 73.80% | 18.58% | D+55.2 | D |
| 64A | 76.89% | 20.30% | D+56.6 | 78.82% | 13.58% | D+65.2 | D |
| 64B | 70.63% | 27.37% | D+43.3 | 74.41% | 18.39% | D+56 | D |
| 65A | 83.74% | 13.76% | D+70 | 80.78% | 12.13% | D+68.6 | D |
| 65B | 77.60% | 19.70% | D+57.9 | 74.28% | 17.59% | D+56.7 | D |
| 66A | 65.92% | 31.91% | D+34 | 67.89% | 23.85% | D+44 | D |
| 66B | 78.86% | 18.90% | D+60 | 76.62% | 15.90% | D+60.7 | D |
| 67A | 76.07% | 21.79% | D+54.3 | 70.99% | 21.62% | D+49.4 | D |
| 67B | 74.76% | 23.00% | D+51.8 | 70.67% | 22.02% | D+48.6 | D |
| Total | 52.84% | 45.12% | D+7.7 | 46.88% | 45.34% | D+1.5 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
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+4, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 4 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Minnesota's 8th Congressional District the 199th 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 1.10. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.10 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 8th Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Candidate ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for 8th 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 | 8th Congressional District | Major party | 0 | N/A | $300.00 | Fixed number | 6/2/2020 | Source |
| Minnesota | 8th Congressional District | Unaffiliated | 1,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 6/2/2020 | Source |
District election history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Minnesota District 8
Pete Stauber defeated Joe Radinovich and Ray Sandman in the general election for U.S. House Minnesota District 8 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pete Stauber (R) | 50.7 | 159,364 |
 | Joe Radinovich (D) | 45.2 | 141,950 | |
 | Ray Sandman (Independence Party) | 4.1 | 12,741 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 156 | ||
| Total votes: 314,211 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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 8
Joe Radinovich defeated Michelle Lee, Jason Metsa, Kirsten Hagen Kennedy, and Soren Christian Sorensen in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 8 on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joe Radinovich | 44.1 | 30,732 |
 | Michelle Lee | 27.5 | 19,182 | |
 | Jason Metsa | 13.2 | 9,229 | |
 | Kirsten Hagen Kennedy | 11.7 | 8,133 | |
 | Soren Christian Sorensen | 3.5 | 2,415 | |
| Total votes: 69,691 | |||
| = 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
- Leah Phifer (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 8
Pete Stauber defeated Harry Welty in the Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 8 on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pete Stauber | 90.0 | 45,391 |
| Harry Welty | 10.0 | 5,047 | |
| Total votes: 50,438 | |||
| = 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
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as a race to watch. Incumbent Rick Nolan (D) defeated Stewart Mills (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. This was a rematch of the 2014 race, in which Nolan successfully defended his seat from Mills by 1.4 percent of the vote. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent in August.[11][12]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Rick Nolan Incumbent |
50.2% | 179,098 | |
| Republican | Stewart Mills | 49.6% | 177,089 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.2% | 792 | |
| Total Votes | 356,979 | |||
| Source: Minnesota Secretary of State | ||||
2014
The 8th Congressional District of Minnesota held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Rick Nolan (D) defeated Stewart Mills (R) and Ray "Skip" Sandman (G) in the general election.
| 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 | ||||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Minnesota," accessed June 29, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings," accessed June 1, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Minnesota House Primaries Results," August 9, 2016
