Minnesota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 (August 11 Democratic primary)
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← 2022
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| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota |
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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. |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Democratic Inside Elections: Likely Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| Minnesota executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
A Democratic Party primary takes place on August 11, 2026, in Minnesota to determine which candidates will earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election on November 3, 2026.
In Minnesota, gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates run for election together on a single ticket in both the primary and the general election.
This page focuses on Minnesota's Democratic Party gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Minnesota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 (August 11 Republican primary)
- Minnesota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026
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
Governor
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Governor of Minnesota
Rick DeVoe (D), Paul Ference (D), Amy Klobuchar (D), Kobey Layne (D), and Christopher Seymore (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of Minnesota on August 11, 2026.
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Tim Walz (D)
Lieutenant governor
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.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I own a bookstore, Fair Trade Books, in Red Wing, Mn. My work history includes a 15 yr. career in the building trades with the Heat & Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (Local 135). I was the Political Director for my Local, have been the director of several progressive organizations, and manager of numerus electoral campaigns. I have also worked in human services. I have run twice as a candidate for Congress. In 2004, District 2, state of Nevada. This campaign was a protest against the Iraq war, which had started the year before, and against the recently adopted amendment to the Nevada state constitution disallowing same sex marriage. I accepted only $1 campaign contributions to symbolize opposition to big money influence in campaigns. In 2022, I ran here in Minnesota, District 1, with a sole focus on championing a Federal Job Guarantee, a program that dates back to FDR's bill of economic rights. I withdrew two months before the primary election due to a lack of resources. I am 68 years old, my wife and business partner is Zoe Malinchoc, and we are responsible for our 1 1/2 yr old golden retriever bookstore dog, Alobar."
Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I grew up in Dakota County, where I graduated from Burnsville High School. I’ve worked service jobs, where I’ve supported people directly and worked with the community in those roles. I left that world to go into business for myself and find a way to directly impact my community with my values. With dedication and time I became the only cookie manufacturer in Minnesota that sources several Minnesota grown ingredients. I’ve worked with farms across Minnesota, from Canby, to Taylors Falls, to Clearbrook. I believe in the importance of making our state self-sufficient, and in supporting the businesses that allow us to thrive. I hired my first contractor at a livable wage, and as the work has become more efficient and the time involved less onerous I have kept their expected total pay the same, so they can also profit from their efficiencies. We all have the capacity within us to be the change we want to see in the world. I’ve seen the generosity of strangers up close. In 2008 I began running online fundraisers and during that time connected with like- minded people that used the simple kindness of a cookie to raise money for those in need. That group, as of today, has raised more than $2 million dollars in its lifetime entirely driven and managed by volunteers. I am proud of my efforts in organizing fundraisers, as well as participating on the Board of Directors as both President and currently as Treasurer."
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Growing up, I was one of 8 children in a blended family. My mother, a homemaker, and my dad, a small business owner. Public service is a value I’ve always been committed to. In high school, I led my Interact Club, a subsidiary of Rotary International. In college, I served as a resident assistant, helping students navigate personal and interpersonal conflict along with navigating the higher education system (many of them first generation students). In the summer before my senior year of college, I participated in the Public Policy and International Affairs - Junior Summer Institute. This 7-week program prepared me to pursue further education in the realm of public policy and public affairs. I also served on the Hamline Midway Coalition board of directors, an organization that gathers community voices to inform the city of St. Paul’s policies. I attended the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and graduated with a Master of Public Policy degree in 2022. My first job post-graduation, was with Minnesota State Senator Jim Abeler serving as his Committee Legislative Assistant on the Human Services Reform Committee. I left the Republican Party in 2022 after realizing the party’s values do not truly align with my own. After being laid off from the Minnesota Senate after the 2022 election, I found a job in retail to pay my bills. As a trans woman, one of my latest vocations is creating and organizing community in the Twin Cities trans community."
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Executive Leadership and Governance Experience I have over 18 years of experience in Minnesota politics, including 16 years of involvement with the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) Party: 2008: DFL Eden Prairie Caucus & Precinct Chairman (P15 SD42), State Delegate 2012: DFL Eden Prairie Caucus & Precinct Chairman (P15 SD42), National Delegate Alternate for Barack Obama 2016: DFL Bloomington (P13 SD50 CD3), National Delegate Alternate for Bernie Sanders 2016: DFL Bloomington Caucus Chairman, Precinct Chairman, Central Committee Member, State Central Committee Director Ran for multiple public offices, including: 2016: Minnesota House of Representatives, District 50B (Democratic Primary) 2017: Governor of Minnesota, Independence Alliance Party 2018: U.S. Senate of Minnesota (Democratic Primary) 2020: U.S. Senate of Minnesota (Democratic Primary) 2024: Endorsed U.S. Senate Candidate, Legal Marijuana Now Party 2024: Minnesota GOP U.S. Senate Primary Candidate / Legal Marijuana Now write-in candidate (General Election) 2026: Declared Candidate for Governor of Minnesota (DFL Party, unendorsed) I am qualified to serve as Governor of Minnesota because my leadership has been forged through sustained tenacity and direct engagement with real-world problems requiring real-time solutions. My approach is that of a systems architect rather than a symbolic politician, designing policies that function within budget constraints, census realities, regulatory limits, and human need."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Minnesota
Campaign finance
The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.
Governor
Lieutenant governor
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota's 1st | Brad Finstad | R+6 |
| Minnesota's 2nd | Angie Craig | D+3 |
| Minnesota's 3rd | Kelly Morrison | D+11 |
| Minnesota's 4th | Betty McCollum | D+18 |
| Minnesota's 5th | Ilhan Omar | D+32 |
| Minnesota's 6th | Tom Emmer | R+10 |
| Minnesota's 7th | Michelle Fischbach | R+18 |
| Minnesota's 8th | Pete Stauber | R+7 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris  | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota's 1st | 43.0% | 55.0% |
| Minnesota's 2nd | 52.0% | 46.0% |
| Minnesota's 3rd | 60.0% | 38.0% |
| Minnesota's 4th | 67.0% | 31.0% |
| Minnesota's 5th | 80.0% | 18.0% |
| Minnesota's 6th | 39.0% | 59.0% |
| Minnesota's 7th | 31.0% | 67.0% |
| Minnesota's 8th | 42.0% | 56.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 50.6% of Minnesotans lived in one of the state's 8 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 44.9% lived in one of 74 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Minnesota was Solid Democratic, having voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Kamala Harris (D) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Minnesota following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Minnesota county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 8 | 50.6% | |||||
| Solid Republican | 74 | 44.9% | |||||
| Battleground Republican | 3 | 2.7% | |||||
| Trending Democratic | 1 | 1.2% | |||||
| New Republican | 1 | 0.6% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 9 | 51.7% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 78 | 48.3% | |||||
Historical voting trends
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[1] | 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 |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Minnesota.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Minnesota
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Minnesota.
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.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | Tim Walz |
| Lieutenant Governor | Peggy Flanagan |
| Secretary of State | Steve Simon |
| Attorney General | Keith Ellison |
State legislature
Minnesota State Senate
| Party | As of February 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 34 | |
| Republican Party | 33 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 67 | |
Minnesota House of Representatives
| Party | As of February 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 67 | |
| Republican Party | 67 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| 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 |
The table below details demographic data in Minnesota and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Minnesota | ||
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | United States | |
| Population | 5,706,494 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 79,631 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 78.4% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 6.8% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 5.1% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 2.7% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 6.2% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 6.2% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 93.9% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 38.8% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $87,556 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 9.2% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **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. | ||
State profile
| Demographic data for Minnesota | ||
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 5,482,435 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 79,627 | 3,531,905 |
| 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. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Minnesota
Minnesota voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 19 are located in Minnesota, accounting for 9.22 percent of the total pivot counties.[2]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Minnesota had 15 Retained Pivot Counties and four Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 8.29 and 16.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Minnesota coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Minnesota
- United States congressional delegations from Minnesota
- Public policy in Minnesota
- Endorsers in Minnesota
- Minnesota fact checks
- More...
See also
| Minnesota | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Progressive Party
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
