MINNESOTA 10 Electoral Votes
Population 
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
Total Population, July 2008 est.          5,220,393
Registration, Nov. 4, 2008, 7 a.m.       3,199,981 plus same day registrants: 542,140
Note: Minnesota has Election Day registration.
Minnesota has: 87 counties.
Largest counties: Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka, Washington. >
Five largest cities: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington. >

Government
Governor: Tim Pawlenty (R) elected 2002, re-elected in 2006.
State Legislature: Minnesota State Legislature   House: 134 seats  Senate: 67 seats
Local: Local Government   NACO Counties
U.S. House: 5DFL, 3R - 1. T.Walz (D) | 2. J.Kline (R) | 3. J. Ramstad (R) | 4. B.McCollum (DFL) | 5. K.Ellison (DFL) | 6. M.Bachmann (R) | 7. C.Peterson (DFL) | 8. J.Oberstar (DFL)
U.S. Senate: Norm Coleman (R) up for re-election in 2008, Amy Klobuchar (DFL) elected in 2006.
2008 update
U.S. Senate:  In the most expensive ($35.4 million) and longest Senate race this cycle, Sen. Norm Coleman (R) faced comedian Al Franken (DFL) and former Sen. Dean Barkley of the Independence Party.  The race was not settled until almost eight months after Election Day; after a recount and legal proceedings that went to the state Supreme Court, Coleman conceded on June 30, 2009.  Franken's margin of victory was 312 votes.
U.S. House:  Rep. Jim Ramstad (R)'s retirement opened up the 3rd CD (suburban Hennepin County); State Rep. Erik Paulsen (R) held the seat for the GOP, defeating attorney and veteran Ashwin Madia (DFL) and Independence Party candidate David Dillon.  The 6th CD race heated up in October when freshman Rep. Michele Bachmann (R)
appeared on MSNBC's 'Hardball" and got into a discussion with Chris Matthews about whether Obama and some members of Congress are "anti-American;" she nonetheless narrowly defeated El Tinklenberg (DFL) by 46.41% to 43.43% and 10.04% for the Independence Party candidate.  The U.S. House delegation remains at 5DFL, 3R.
    > Democrats likely to pick up U.S. Senate seat.  MORE

 State of Minnesota
Secretary of State

Constitution Party of MN
Green Party of MN
Libertarian Party of MN
MN DFL Party
Republican Party of MN
Independence Party of MN

Star Tribune
Newspapers
TV, Radio

Politics1-MN
MN E-Democracy
MN-politics.com


Land of 10,000 Lakes

 

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,721,943.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 78.2%.


Total Registration: 3,199,981 plus same day registrants: 542,140.


 +                               Official Results >


McCain-Palin (Rep.)
1,275,409
(43.82)
+Obama-Biden (DFL)
1,573,354
(54.06)
McKinney/Clemente (Grn.)
5,174
(0.18)
Calero/Kennedy (SWP)
790
(0.03)
Nader/Gonzalez (I)
30,152
(1.04)
Barr/Root (Lib.)
9,174
(0.32)
Baldwin/Castle (Const.)
6,787
(0.23)
w/ins
9,529
(0.33)
Total........2,910,369





2008 Overview
The 2008 Republican National Convention, held at Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis-St. Paul from Sept. 1-4, 2008, helped boost the state's economy, but couldn't tip the Minnesota into the Republican column.  Obama won with a plurality of 297,945 votes (10.24 percentage points).  Much of that came from the two biggest counties, Hennepin and Ramsey, where Obama obtained a total of 603,932 votes to 319,996 for McCain.  All told McCain carried 45 counties to 42 for Obama. 
General Election Details
Obama/Allies  |  McCain/Allies  |  Nader  |  Baldwin


Photos: Politics at the Minnesota State Fair
[Primary Election: Sept. 9, 2008]

Precinct Caucuses -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Democrats
88 Delegates (72 Pledged and 16 Unpledged) and 12 Alternates.
2.17% of the 4,049 Delegate Votes.

Feb. 5, 2008: Precinct Caucuses
March-April 2008 - County Unit Conventions
April-June 2008 - CD Conventions
June 6-8, 2008 - State Convention in Rochester, Minnesota

Clinton  |  Obama
former:
Edwards 
Kucinich: State Chair is Rachel Joseph; Minneapolis Area Coordinator is Matt Beversdorf.
Richardson endorsed by Irene Auginaush, White Earth Tribal Councilwoman and Kevin Leecy, Bois Forte Tribal Chairman (announced Oct. 3, 2007)
Unofficial: HillaryClintonMN.com
(Old Unofficial Minnesota for Feingold)
  
Unofficial Results   4,112 of 4,122   99.76%
Joe Biden
129
0.06%
Hillary Clinton
68,994
32.23%
Chris Dodd
77
0.04%
John Edwards
985
0.46%
Dennis Kucinich
361
0.17%
Frank Lynch
17
0.01%
+Barack Obama
142,109
66.39%
Bill Richardson
82
0.04%
Uncommitted
1,312
0.61%
Total
214,066

Republicans
41 Delegates: 3 RNC; 14 at-large; 24 by CD (3 x 8 CDs).
1.72% of the 2,380 Delegates.

Feb. 5, 2008: Precinct Caucuses
Feb. 22-March 15, 2008: BPOU Conventions
March 28-April 19, 2008: CD Conventions
May 31, 2008: State Convention +

Huckabee  |  McCain  |  Paul  |  Romney
former: Giuliani  |  F.Thompson

Unofficial Results   4,106 of 4,122   99.61%
Mike Huckabee
12,493
19.88%
Alan Keyes
368
0.59%
John McCain
13,826
22.01%
Ron Paul
9,852
15.68%
+Mitt Romney
25,990
34.53%
Write In
299
0.48%
Total
62,828


 
 
 

Setting the Caucuses Date
Minnesota Statutes (202A.14) set out the date for precinct caucuses as the first Tuesday in March, which in 2008 is March 4.  However, the Minnesota Republican Party and the Minnesota DFL have moved to hold caucuses on Feb. 5, 2008.  On July 10, 2007 the Minnesota Republican Party executive committee voted to hold caucuses on Feb. 5, and in August 2007 the DFL State Central Committee approved the change to Feb. 5 in a mail ballot.

Earlier there were legislative efforts to move the date forward, but party leaders determined that step was not necessary.
-In February 2007 State Sen. Dan Larson (DFL-Bloomington) introduced S.F. No. 893 to move the precinct caucuses from  the first Tuesday in March to the third Tuesday in February and the state primary from September to June.  On May 9 Larson offered an amendment, which was approved, to change the date of the precinct caucuses not to the third Tuesday, but to the second Tuesday in February.  On May 11 the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 55-9, and it was sent on to the House where it went to committee.
-In 2005 there was bipartisan support for efforts to move the precinct caucuses from the first Tuesday of March to the third Tuesday in February (another change > would move the state primary from mid-September to June).  The thinking was that February precinct caucuses would coincide with the Wisconsin primary to create a "Super Tuesday of the North" or "Frozen Tuesday."
-In 2003 legislation to move the date of the precinct caucuses passed the Senate but stalled in the House.

See:  "Minnesota appears likely to move up '08 party caucuses."  Associated Press, June 25, 2007. (in the Star Tribune)
         Bill Salisbury.  "Minnesota Legislature / Caucuses could be moved up in 2008."  Pioneer Press, May 9, 2007.


General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Voting Eligible Population: 3,609,185.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 78.4%.

 

Cobb/LaMarche
4,408
(0.16)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
1,346,695
(47.61)
+Kerry/Edwards (DFL) 1,445,014 (51.09)
Van Auken/Lawrence (SEP) 539
(0.02)
Calero/Hawkins (SWP)
416
(0.01)
Harens/Ryan (CF)
2,387
(0.08)
Nader Camejo (BL)
18,683
(0.66)
Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.)
3,074
(0.11)
Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.)
4,639
(0.16)
Write Ins
2,532

Total........2,828,387
 




2004 Overview
Kerry widened the margin upon Gore's 2000 showing, gaining a plurality of 98,319 votes (3.48 percentage points).  Kerry finished ahead in the 4th, 5th and 8th CDs.  At the meeting of the Electoral College on Dec. 13, 2004 Minnesota earned an asterisk when one of the 10 electors voted for John Edwards for president.

General Election Details
Kerry/Allies  |  Bush/Cheney '04

[State Primary Election: September 14, 2004]
General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000
Voting Eligible Population: 3,506,432.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 69.5%.
Phillips/Frazier (Const.)
 3,272
 (0.13)
+Gore/Lieberman (DFL)
 1,168,266
(47.91)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
 1,109,659
(45.50)
Harris/Trowe (SWP)
 1,022
(0.04)
Buchanan/Foster(Ref.MN)
 22,166
(0.91)
Hagelin/Goldhaber (Ref.)
2,294
(0.09)
Browne/Olivier (Lib.)
 5,282
 (0.22)
Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)
126,696
(5.20)
Declared Write Ins (3) 
28
Total........2,438,685

Total Voters: 2,457,156.

2000 Overview
Bush made a close race for Minnesota's 10 electoral votes, but on Election Day Gore came out on top, gaining a plurality of 58,607 votes (2.41 percentage points).  Gore carried 16 counties to 71 for Bush.  The last Republican presidential candidate to carry Minnesota was Richard Nixon, seeking re-election in 1972 against George McGovern.  Yet in October at least one poll showed Bush ahead.  The state experienced a crush of activity in the closing weeks of the campaign.  Nader supporters hoped to obtain as much as 10 percent, which, had it happened could have tipped the state to Bush.  Gov. Ventura, who has roiled Minnesota politics since his upset win in 1998, remained neutral in the presidential race.
General Election Activity

Precinct Caucuses -- Tuesday, March 2, 2004

1992
Clinton (Dem.).....1,020,997
(43.48)
Bush (Rep.)...........747,841
(31.85)
Perot (MNfP)..........562,506
(23.96)
Others (8+w/ins)......16,603
(0.71)
Total........2,347,947

1996
Clinton (Dem.).....1,120,438
(51.10)
Dole (Rep.)............766,476
(34.96)
Perot (Ref.)............257,704
(11.75)
Nader (Grn.)............24,908
(1.14)
Others (7+w/ins)......23,114
(1.05)
Total........2,192,640

2004 page >
2000 page >

Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.