Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Minnesota state executive official elections, 2014

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge-smaller use.png
 Minnesota's 2014 elections
U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • Secretary of State • Other executive offices • State House • School boards • Judicial • Candidate ballot access
Flag of Minnesota.png


2015 →
← 2013
2014
State Executive Official Elections
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming
Table of Contents
Partisan breakdown
Candidates by office
Voter turnout
Key deadlines
State executive organization
Ballotpedia reports
Recent news
See also
See also
News • Calendar

Five state executive positions were up for election in 2014 in the state of Minnesota. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

In addition to candidate lists and election results, this page includes information about important dates, how the state's executive branch is organized, as well as links to articles about recent news in races across the state.

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][2][3]

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

The following offices were elected in 2014 in Minnesota:

Partisan breakdown

Heading into the November 4 election, the Democratic Party held all five executive seats in Minnesota.

Minnesota State Executives -- Partisan Breakdown
Party As of November 4, 2014 After the 2014 Election
     Democratic Party 5 5
     Republican Party 0 0
Total 5 5





Candidates by office

Office Incumbent Assumed Office Incumbent running? General Election Candidates 2015 Winner Partisan Switch?
Governor Mark Dayton
Mark Dayton.jpg		 2011 Yes[4] Democratic Party Mark Dayton

Republican Party Jeff Johnson
Libertarian Party Chris Holbrook
Independent Grassroots Party candidate Chris Wright

Independence Party of America Hannah Nicollet
 Democratic Party Mark Dayton No
Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon
07Solon.jpg		 2011 No Democratic PartyTina Smith

Republican PartyBill Kuisle
Libertarian PartyChris Dock
Independent Grassroots Party candidate David Daniels

Independence Party of America Tim Gieseke
 Democratic PartyTina Smith No
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie
Mark Ritchie 1.jpg		 2007 No[5] Democratic Party Steve Simon

Republican Party Dan Severson
Libertarian Party Bob Odden

Independence Party of America Bob Helland
 Democratic Party Steve Simon No
Attorney General Lori Swanson
Lori Swanson.jpg		 2007 Yes Democratic Party Lori Swanson

Republican Party Scott Newman
Green Party Andy Dawkins
Libertarian Party Mary O'Connor
Independent Legal Marijuana Party candidate Dan R. Vacek

Independence Party of America Brandan Borgos
 Democratic Party Lori Swanson No
State Auditor Rebecca Otto
Rebecca Otto.jpg		 2007 Yes Democratic Party Rebecca Otto

Republican Party Randy Gilbert
Libertarian Party Keegan Iversen
Independent Judith Schwartzbacker

Independent_American_Party Patrick Dean
 Democratic Party Rebecca Otto No


Primary results

Governor/Lieutenant Governor

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, Democratic Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngMark Dayton/Tina Smith 93% 177,849
Leslie Davis/Gregory K. Soderberg 4.5% 8,530
Bill Dahn/James Vigliotti 2.6% 4,880
Total Votes 191,259
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State.


Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJeff Johnson/Bill Kuisle 30.3% 55,836
Kurt Zellers/Dean Simpson 23.9% 44,046
Marty Seifert/Pam Myhra 21.1% 38,851
Scott Honour/Karin Housley 20.8% 38,377
Merrill Anderson/Mark Anderson 3.8% 7,000
Total Votes 184,110
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State.

Attorney General

Note: There was no Democratic primary for attorney general, as only one candidate filed for the office.

Minnesota Attorney General, Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngScott Newman 63.2% 103,933
Sharon Anderson 36.8% 60,407
Total Votes 164,340
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State.

Secretary of State

Note: There was no Republican primary for secretary of state, as only one candidate filed for the office.

Minnesota Secretary of State, Democratic Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Simon 42.7% 65,634
Dick Franson 29.1% 44,700
Gregg A. Iverson 28.3% 43,478
Total Votes 153,812
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State.


Minnesota Secretary of State, Independence Party Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBob Helland 51.5% 3,059
David A. Singleton 48.5% 2,879
Total Votes 5,938
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State.

Auditor

Note: There was no Republican primary for auditor, as only one candidate filed for the office.

Minnesota Auditor, Democratic Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Otto 80.9% 149,628
Matt Entenza 19.1% 35,258
Total Votes 184,886
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State.

General election

The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

Governor/Lieutenant Governor

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMark Dayton/Tina Smith Incumbent 50.1% 989,113
     Republican Jeff Johnson/Bill Kuisle 44.5% 879,257
     Independence Hannah Nicollet/Tim Gieseke 2.9% 56,900
     Grassroots Party Chris Wright/David Daniels 1.6% 31,259
     Libertarian Chris Holbrook/Chris Dock 0.9% 18,082
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.1% 1,134
Total Votes 1,975,745
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State

Attorney General

Attorney General of Minnesota, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngLori Swanson Incumbent 52.6% 1,014,714
     Republican Scott Newman 39% 752,543
     Legalize Marijuana Dan R. Vacek 3% 57,604
     Independence Brandan Borgos 2.3% 44,613
     Libertarian Mary O'Connor 1.6% 30,008
     Green Andy Dawkins 1.5% 28,748
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0% 750
Total Votes 1,928,980
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State

Secretary of State

Secretary of State of Minnesota, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Simon 47% 901,450
     Republican Dan Severson 45.9% 879,022
     Independence Bob Helland 4.9% 94,065
     Libertarian Bob Odden 2.1% 40,729
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.1% 1,134
Total Votes 1,916,400
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State

Auditor

Minnesota Auditor, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Otto Incumbent 51.5% 988,102
     Republican Randy Gilbert 40% 766,814
     Independence Patrick Dean 4% 76,845
     Grassroots Party Judith Schwartzbacker 2.9% 55,132
     Libertarian Keegan Iversen 1.6% 30,397
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0% 800
Total Votes 1,918,090
Election results via Minnesota Secretary of State

Voter turnout

Political scientist Michael McDonald's United States Elections Project studied voter turnout in the 2014 election by looking at the percentage of eligible voters who headed to the polls. McDonald used voting-eligible population (VEP), or the number of eligible voters independent of their current registration status, to calculate turnout rates in each state on November 4. He also incorporated ballots cast for the highest office in each state into his calculation. He estimated that 81,687,059 ballots were cast in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, representing 35.9 percent of the VEP.[6] By comparison, 61.6 percent of VEP voted in the 2008 presidential election and 58.2 percent of VEP voted in the 2012 presidential election.[7]

Quick facts

  • According to PBS Newshour, voter turnout in the 2014 midterms was the lowest since the 1942 midterms, which took place during the nation's involvement in World War II.[8]
  • Forty-three states and the District of Columbia did not surpass 50 percent turnout in McDonald's analysis.
  • The three states with the lowest turnout according to McDonald's analysis were Texas (28.3 percent), Tennessee (28.6 percent), and Indiana (28.8 percent).
  • Maine (58.5 percent), Wisconsin (56.5 percent), and Colorado (54.5 percent) were the three states with the highest turnout.
  • Twelve states increased voter turnout in 2014 compared to the 2010 midterm elections.[9]

Note: Information from the United States Elections Project was last updated on December 16, 2014.

Key deadlines

Deadline Event
May 20, 2014 First day of candidate filing period
June 3, 2014 Last day of candidate filing period
August 12, 2014 Primary election
November 4, 2014 General election
November 25, 2014 State Canvassing Board meeting to certify election results
January 5, 2015 Inauguration day for state executive officials in general election[10]

State executive organization

Executive officials in Minnesota are part of a three-pronged government structure that includes state legislators and state judges. The following chart details the relationship among different branches of Minnesota's state government:

Minnesota exec org chart.png

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Minnesota + state + executive + elections"

Minnesota State Executive Elections News Feed

See also

Minnesota

Footnotes

  1. ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 25, 2023
  2. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
  3. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State,"PRIMARY ELECTION," accessed April 25, 2023
  4. ↑ The Associated Press, "Amid turbulent session, Gov. Mark Dayton looks to re-election," March 31, 2013
  5. ↑ Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, "NEWS RELEASE: Secretary of State Ritchie Announces He Will Not Seek Third Term," June 4, 2013
  6. ↑ United States Elections Project, "2014 November General Election Turnout Rates," November 7, 2014
  7. ↑ TIME, "Voter Turnout in Midterm Elections Hits 72-Year Low," November 10, 2014
  8. ↑ PBS, "2014 midterm election turnout lowest in 70 years," November 10, 2014
  9. ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Midterm Turnout Down in 2014," November 5, 2014
  10. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Election Calendar," accessed August 26, 2014


Flag of Minnesota
v • e
State of Minnesota
St. Paul (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Minnesota_state_executive_official_elections,_2014&oldid=10457015"