2020 Election Cycle

The presidential primary returned to Minnesota for the first time in 28 years for its fourth iteration. Republican President Donald Trump was victorious without opposition and former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden defeated Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders by 8.8 points with a boost from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar who exited the race and endorsed Biden on the eve of the primary.

In the general election, Democrats carried Minnesota for the 12 consecutive cycle, extending its longest-outside-the-South streak for the party and moving into a tie for party's eighth longest all-time streak. Senator Tina Smith was also victorious in her reelection bid to extend the DFL's winning streak in statewide elections to a party record 22 in a row dating back to 2008. Former Republican state Senator and Lieutenant Governor Michelle Fischbach knocked Blue Dog Democrat Collin Peterson out of office in the 7th CD. The state elected four GOP U.S. Representatives to D.C. for the first time since the 112th Congress (2011-2013). Appointed Associate Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen was easily elected while the DFL and GOP each held onto power in the state House and state Senate respectively.

Elections

Date Office Stage Winners Details
11/03/2020 U.S. House, District 04 General Betty McCollum (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) won with 245,819 votes (63.17%) and a winning margin of +34.20
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Betty McCollum Incumbent Woman Democratic-Farmer-Labor 245,819 63.17
Gene A. Rechtzigel Man Republican 112,733 28.97
Susan Pendergast Sindt Woman Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis 29,539 7.59
Scattering Write-In 1,034 0.27

Rechtzigel was a farmer from Newport, independent candidate for HD 53 in 1980 and GOP candidate for the 4th CD in 2016.

Sindt was a former school teacher from Maplewood and Legal Marijuana Now nominee for the 4th CD in 2016 and 2018.

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11/03/2020 President / Vice President General Joseph Biden (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) won with 1,717,049 votes (52.40%) and a winning margin of +7.11
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Joseph Biden with Kamala Harris Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 1,717,049 52.40
Donald J. Trump Incumbent with Mike Pence Man Republican 1,484,048 45.29
Jo Jorgensen with Jeremy (Spike) Cohen Woman Libertarian 34,976 1.07
Howie Hawkins with Angela Walker Man Green 10,034 0.31
Scattering Write-In 8,715 0.27
Kanye West with Michelle Tidball Man Independent 7,939 0.24
Brock Pierce with Karla Ballard Man Independent 5,651 0.17
Roque (Rocky) De La Fuente with Darcy Richardson Man Independence-Alliance 5,611 0.17
Gloria La Riva with Leonard Peltier Woman Socialism and Liberation 1,210 0.04
Brian Carroll with Amar Patel Man Write-In 1,037 0.03
Alyson Kennedy with Malcolm Jarrett Woman Socialist Workers 643 0.02
Mark Charles with Adrian Wallace Man Write-In 112 0.00
Don Blankenship with William Alan Mohr Man Write-In 75 0.00
Thomas Hoefling with Andy Prior Man Write-In 12 0.00
Jason Stanek with Taylor Motari Man Write-In 2 0.00
Michael Laboch with Raechelle Pope Man Write-In 2 0.00
Frederick Michael Carl Frederickson with Todd William Larson Man Write-In 1 0.00
Ryan J. Gilmer with Brent S. Duncan Man Write-In 1 0.00
Darlo Hunter with Dawn Neptune Adams Man Write-In 1 0.00
Shawn Howard with Alyssa Howard Man Write-In 1 0.00

Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris each received Minnesota's 10 Electoral College votes.

With this win by Biden, Minnesota extended its record for the most consecutive presidential victories by Democratic nominees outside of the South at 12 in a row.

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11/03/2020 U.S. Senate General Tina Smith (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) won with 1,566,511 votes (48.74%) and a winning margin of +5.24
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Tina Smith Incumbent Woman Democratic-Farmer-Labor 1,566,511 48.74
Jason Lewis Man Republican 1,398,130 43.50
Kevin O'Connor Man Legal Marijuana Now 190,141 5.92
Oliver Steinberg Man Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis 57,173 1.78
Scattering Write-In 2,227 0.07
Rob Barrett Man Write-In 22 0.00
George A. Dennis Man Write-In 5 0.00
Steve Carlson Man Write-In 3 0.00
John L. Berman Man Write-In 2 0.00

Senator Smith was elected to a second term.

Lewis was a resident of Woodbury and former U.S. Representative (CD 02, 2017-2019).

Steinberg was a resident of St. Paul and founder of the Grassroots Party in 1986.

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11/03/2020 U.S. House, District 01 General Jim Hagedorn (Republican) won with 179,229 votes (48.59%) and a winning margin of +3.07
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Jim Hagedorn Incumbent Man Republican 179,229 48.59
Dan Feehan Man Democratic-Farmer-Labor 167,889 45.52
William (Bill) Rood Man Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis 21,446 5.81
Scattering Write-In 285 0.08

This was a rematch of the 2018 general election.

Rood was the Libertarian nominee for HD 33A in 1982.

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11/03/2020 U.S. House, District 06 General Tom Emmer (Republican) won with 270,901 votes (65.70%) and a winning margin of +31.54
Candidate Gender Party Votes Percent
Tom Emmer Incumbent Man Republican 270,901 65.70
Tawnja Zahradka Woman Democratic-Farmer-Labor 140,851 34.16
Scattering Write-In 552 0.13

Zahradka was a broadcaster, television production company owner, and former Mrs. Minnesota America from Forest Lake.

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