Governor, 2010 Election
General
| Candidate | Gender | Running mate | Party | Votes | Percent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Dayton | Man | Yvonne Prettner Solon (Woman) | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | 919,232 | 43.63 | +0.42 |
| Tom Emmer | Man | Annette Meeks (Woman) | Republican | 910,462 | 43.21 | |
| Tom Horner | Man | James Mulder (Man) | Independence | 251,487 | 11.94 | |
| T. Christopher (Chris) Wright | Man | Edwin Engelmann (Man) | Grassroots | 7,516 | 0.36 | |
| Farheen Hakeem | Woman | Dan Dittman (Man) | Green | 6,188 | 0.29 | |
| Ken Pentel | Man | Erin Wallace (Woman) | Ecology Democracy | 6,180 | 0.29 | |
| Linda Eno | Woman | Howard B. Hanson (Man) | Resource | 4,092 | 0.19 |
The was the second most closely decided Minnesota gubernatorial election since the first contest in 1857.
Dayton was a resident of Minneapolis and former state Commissioner of Department of Economic Development, DFL nominee for U.S. Senate in 1982, state Commissioner of Department of Energy and Economic Development, state Auditor (1991-1995), DFL candidate for governor in 1998, and U.S. Senator (2001-2007); Prettner-Solon was a psychologist from Duluth, former Duluth City Councilwoman (1988-1999), and sitting state Senator (SD 07, 2002-2011).
Emmer was an attorney from Delano and state Representative (HD 19B, 2005-2011); Meeks was a Metropolitan Council member from Minneapolis, former Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (1995-1998), and conservative pundit and think tank president.
Horner was a public relations firm executive from Edina; Mulder was the former Executive Director of the Association of Minnesota Counties from St. Paul.
Wright was a computer technician from Edina, co-founder of the Grassroots Party in 1986, Grassroots U.S. House nominee for the 5th CD in 1988, and Grassroots gubernatorial nominee in 1998.
Hakeem was a resident of Minneapolis, Minneapolis mayoral candidate in 2005, Hennepin County Commissioner candidate in 2006, and National Green Party co-chairwoman; Dittman was a resident of Minneapolis.
Pentel was a former grassroots organizer for Greenpeace from Minneapolis and Green Party gubernatorial nominee in 1998, 2002, and 2006; Wallace was a funeral director from Minneapolis.
Eno was a resort owner in Garrison.
Related Reports
- Will Minnesota’s Competitive Gubernatorial Election Streak Continue in 2018? (August 24, 2017)
- Jeff Johnson and a History of 2nd-Chance Minnesota Gubernatorial Candidates (May 14, 2017)
- CT, IL, MN Gubernatorial Races: From 2010 Nail-Biters to 2014 Snoozers? (April 25, 2013)
- Minnesota to Have Only Democratic Upper Midwestern Governor for First Time Since 1954 (November 24, 2010)
- Emmer Defeat During GOP Wave Would End Nearly 100-Year Trend in Minnesota Gubernatorial Elections (October 20, 2010)
- Fun Facts about Minnesota’s Gubernatorial Race (October 19, 2010)
- Pollster Interest in Minnesota Gubernatorial Race Only Up Slightly from 2006 (September 29, 2010)
- Tom Emmer: Running for Governor, Not Sheriff (September 15, 2010)
- Mark Dayton on Tax Policy: “I Didn’t Start the War” (September 13, 2010)
- You Say You Want a Revolution? Third Party Gubernatorial Candidates Thriving in 2010 (August 4, 2010)
- Will Minnesota Have the Most Competitive Gubernatorial Race in the Nation for the 2nd Consecutive Election Cycle? (June 20, 2010)
- Will Minnesotans Elect a Plurality-Winning Governor for a 4th Straight Cycle? (June 6, 2010)
- Will Minnesotans Elect a Catholic Governor in 2010? (April 5, 2010)
- Will Minnesotans Elect Another Lawyer to the Governor’s Mansion in 2010? (March 12, 2010)
- Why Minnesota Democrats Should Be Thankful Tim Pawlenty Is Not Running for Reelection (February 5, 2010)
- From the U.S. Senate to St. Paul: Dayton (and Coleman?) Try to Make History (January 13, 2010)
- Democratic Gubernatorial Drought in Minnesota Is 3rd Longest in the Nation (December 17, 2009)
Sources
- State of Minnesota Legislative Manual, 2011-2012 (p. 497).