Rick DeVoe

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Rick DeVoe

Democratic Party

Candidate, Governor of Minnesota

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 24, 2022

Next election

August 11, 2026

Personal

Birthplace

Columbus, OH

Religion

Episcopal

Contact

Personal Facebook

Rick DeVoe (Democratic Party) is running for election for Governor of Minnesota. He declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on August 11, 2026.

DeVoe completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Rick DeVoe was born in Columbus, Ohio.

Elections

2026

See also: Minnesota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on August 11, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for Governor of Minnesota

Mike Newcome (Independent) is running in the general election for Governor of Minnesota on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Mike Newcome (Independent)

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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

Democratic primary for Governor of Minnesota

Rick DeVoe (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.

		Candidate
		Rick DeVoe
		Amy Klobuchar
		Kobey Layne
		Christopher Seymore

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Tim Walz (D)

Republican primary

Republican primary for Governor of Minnesota

The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for Governor of Minnesota on August 11, 2026.

		Candidate
		Peggy Bennett
		Lisa Demuth
		Thomas Evenstad
		Patrick Knight
		Brad Kohler
		John Krhin
		Mike Lindell
		Phillip Parrish
		Kendall Qualls
		Kristin Robbins

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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

• Scott Jensen (R)
• Jeff Johnson (R)
• Chris Madel (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2022

See also: Minnesota's 1st Congressional District special election, 2022

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Minnesota District 1

Brad Finstad defeated Jeff Ettinger, Richard Reisdorf, and Haroun McClellan in the special general election for U.S. House Minnesota District 1 on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brad Finstad (R)	50.7	59,788
		Jeff Ettinger (D)	46.8	55,155
		Richard Reisdorf (Legal Marijuana Now Party)	1.3	1,536
		Haroun McClellan (Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota)	0.7	865
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	548

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 117,892
= 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

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1

The following candidates ran in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeff Ettinger	64.4	12,130
		Sarah Brakebill-Hacke	13.2	2,492
		Richard Painter	9.1	1,718
	Submit photo	Candice Deal-Bartell	6.2	1,158
	Submit photo	James Rainwater	2.4	446
		Rick DeVoe	2.0	379
	Submit photo	Warren Anderson	1.9	363
	Submit photo	George Kalberer	0.7	137

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,823
= 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

• Brandon Millholland-Corcoran (D)

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1

The following candidates ran in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brad Finstad	38.1	13,695
		Jeremy Munson	36.9	13,268
	Submit photo	Jennifer Carnahan	8.0	2,887
	Submit photo	Matt Benda	7.3	2,629
		Nels Pierson	5.2	1,878
	Submit photo	Kevin Kocina	2.7	960
		Bob Carney Jr.	0.5	193
		Roger Ungemach	0.4	151
	Submit photo	J.R. Ewing	0.4	142
		Ken Navitsky (Unofficially withdrew)	0.4	127

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 35,930
= 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

Special Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1

Haroun McClellan advanced from the special Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Haroun McClellan	100.0	194

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 194
= 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.

Legal Marijuana Now Party primary election

Special Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1

Richard Reisdorf advanced from the special Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Richard Reisdorf	100.0	363

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 363
= 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.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Rick DeVoe completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by DeVoe's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

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.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I offer bold leadership that meets the moment.
• I advocate for a progressive agenda, almost every program of which is known to have the support of the majority of Minnesotans.
• I will insist that federal enforcement of immigration laws do not violate any individual's civil rights, constitutional rights, or dignity. I will insist that agents who perform the duties of enforcement do not have federal immunity from any crimes they may commit. I will freeze the building of data centers and insist on conditions for future proposals that safeguard the environment and don't degrade our energy grid. I oppose copper and nickel mining in the boundary waters, favoring wilderness and watershed protection that ensures the vitality of tourism.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Social and economic justice.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Rick DeVoe completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by DeVoe's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am retired from Local 135 of the Heat and Frost Insulators. Prior to my work in the building trades I worked in the fields of human services and data processing. I opened an independent bookstore in Red Wing, MN in 2014, and am proud of its service to the local community. I run the store with my wife Zoe and our dog, Reveler. We've met the reading needs and also the need for greater civic and cultural engagement with residents of the region. We've always had an open hosting policy and have offered hundreds of events over the past eight years. Throughout my life I have been engaged in politics and have worked on diverse issues in many different capacities, from volunteer to campaign manager to candidate. I am a lifelong Democrat and like Paul Wellstone, consider myself to be from the democratic wing of the Democratic Party.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I believe the Democratic Party needs a bold vision for change. Full Employment Plus, which is an updated and expanded version of FDR's and MLK's job guarantee proposals, is the answer. It is for me the basis for true economic democracy. Job guarantee plans have always had broad public support, even among conservatives, and I believe it is a platform the Democrats can stand on and win on.
• It is impossible to overestimate what an individual person can contribute to society by manifesting his or her own unique dream, but let's not forget what we can accomplish by working together for the common good.
• Medicare For All No one should go bankrupt over a medical emergency, period. All healthcare services, including dental, hearing, eye care, mental health, etc. will be available to all Americans at zero cost. All pharmaceuticals will be provided at zero cost. No gaps, no caps, no co-pays will exist. The Full Employment Plus program will implement these improvements immediately for all its full time employees and existing Medicare beneficiaries will also enjoy the expansion of services and elimination of out of pocket costs when FEP becomes law. All other Americans will likely receive the same benefits shortly afterward as small businesses would demand it to remain competitive.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have always been passionate about the environment and all creatures great and small. Social justice issues of every stripe have always been a concern, especially poverty and discrimination in all its forms.
I am a strong advocate of local and regional economic self-reliance and participatory democracy. Universal single payer health care should be implemented yesterday. I have been a constant dissenting critic of U.S. foreign policy.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I had lunch with Dorothy Day when I was 12 yrs. old, my older brother was interviewing her for his master's degree in non-violence. From that moment forward I developed a social and political awareness. I always revered Martin Luther King, Jr. and had the honor of working with her for a time on her quest for a job guarantee, which she championed from the time of her husband's death until her own.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The books "The People, No." by Thomas Frank and "The Deficit Myth" by Stephanie Kelton

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I helped instill an ethos of cooperation and caring.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"A Prayer for Owen Meaney," by John Irving. Great original character, humor, irony and transformative.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes I do, as it is in all endeavors or careers. This does not mean that it is a prerequisite, however.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Democracy itself is imperiled by the actions of the current incarnation of the Republican Party with its disregard for the Constitution, as exemplified by the unwillingness to accept the court decisions dismissing all claims of election fraud in the 2020 elections, and by its systematic efforts at voter disenfranchisement and suppression.

Economic democracy must be reasserted in the nation as the distribution of income and wealth currently exceeds the excesses of the gilded age.

Managing climate chaos and protecting the biosphere will be the most daunting challenge of all.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is both necessary and desirable but it is always determined by circumstance and the willingness of the other side to sincerely negotiate. Their is little room for compromise with Republicans at this time, as they are not willing partners.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

---

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

---

Rick DeVoe campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. House Minnesota District 1	Lost primary	$54,171	$49,067
Grand total			$54,171	$49,067
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

See also

2026 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Personal

Facebook

Footnotes

2026 state executive official elections

Governor

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Lieutenant Governor

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Vermont • Wisconsin

Attorney General

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • North Dakota • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Vermont • Wisconsin

Secretary of State

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • North Dakota • Ohio • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Treasurer

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Massachusetts • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Auditor

Alabama • Arkansas • Delaware • Iowa • Massachusetts • Minnesota • Missouri • Nebraska • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • South Dakota • Vermont • Wyoming

Comptroller

California • Connecticut • Idaho • Illinois • Maryland • Nevada • New York • South Carolina • Texas

Education officials

Alabama (board of education) • Arizona (superintendent) • California (superintendent) • Colorado (board of education) • Colorado (board of regent) • District of Columbia (board of education) • Georgia (superintendent) • Guam (education board) • Idaho (superintendent) • Kansas (board of education) • Louisiana (board of education) • Michigan (board of education) • Michigan (board of regent) • Michigan (board of trustees) • Michigan (board of governors) • Nebraska (board of education) • Nebraska (board of regents) • Nevada (board of regents) • New Mexico (board of education) • North Dakota (superintendent) • Northern Mariana Islands (board of education) • Ohio (board of education) • Oklahoma (superintendent) • South Carolina (superintendent) • Texas (board of education) • U.S. Virgin Islands (board of education) • Utah (board of education) • Wyoming (superintendent)

Commissioners

Alabama (agriculture) • Alabama (public service) • Arizona (corporation) • Arizona (mine inspector) • Arkansas (public lands) • California (board of equalization) • California (insurance) • Florida (agriculture) • Georgia (agriculture) • Georgia (labor) • Georgia (insurance) • Georgia (public service) • Guam (utilities) • Hawaii (Hawaiian affairs) • Iowa (agriculture) • Kansas (insurance) • Louisiana (public service) • Massachusetts (governor's council) • Montana (public service) • Nebraska (public service) • New Hampshire (executive council) • New Mexico (public lands) • North Dakota (agriculture) • North Dakota (public service) • North Dakota (tax) • Oklahoma (corporation) • Oklahoma (insurance) • Oklahoma (labor) • Oregon (labor) • South Carolina (agriculture) • South Dakota (public lands) • South Dakota (public utilities) • Texas (agriculture) • Texas (public lands) • Texas (railroad) • U.S. Virgin Islands (board of elections)