Governor, 2014 Election
General
| Candidate | Gender | Running mate | Party | Votes | Percent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Dayton Incumbent | Man | Tina Smith (Woman) | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | 989,113 | 50.07 | +5.56 |
| Jeff Johnson | Man | William (Bill) Kuisle (Man) | Republican | 879,257 | 44.51 | |
| Hannah Nicollet | Woman | Tim Gieseke (Man) | Independence | 56,900 | 2.88 | |
| T. Christopher (Chris) Wright | Man | David Daniels (Man) | Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis | 31,259 | 1.58 | |
| Chris Holbrook | Man | Chris Dock (Man) | Libertarian | 18,082 | 0.92 |
Governor Dayton was reelected with a new running mate; Smith was the Chief of Staff to Governor Dayton and Chief of staff to former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senate on January 2, 2018 following the resignation of DFLer Al Franken; state Senate President Michelle Fischbach ascended to the position of Lieutenant Governor and was sworn in on May 25, 2018.
Johnson was an attorney from Plymouth, former state Representative (HD 34B, 2001-2003; HD 43A, 2003-2007), and Hennepin County Commissioner (2009-present); Kuisle was a farmer from Rochester, former Olmsted County Commissioner (1991-1997), and former state Representative (HD 31A, 1997-2003; HD 30B, 2003-2005).
Nicollet was a former software developer from Roseville; Gieske worked in agriculture & conservation policy development.
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 and 2010; Daniels was a playwright and Grassroots U.S. Senate nominee in 2000.
Holbrook was a resident of St. Paul; Dock worked in human resources and technology and was a resident of Minnetonka.
Related Reports
- Will Minnesota’s Competitive Gubernatorial Election Streak Continue in 2018? (August 24, 2017)
- Democrats Dominating Minnesota Politics in Historic Fashion (January 8, 2015)
- Can Dayton, Franken Both Win By Double-Digits in 2014? (October 7, 2014)
- Johnson vs Dayton: Out with the Old, In with the Young? (September 11, 2014)
- Will Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin Provide Any Drama in 2014’s Gubernatorial Races? (July 17, 2014)
- Could Dayton Be the Lone Democratic Victor in 2014 Midwestern Gubernatorial Races? (June 29, 2014)
- Could Republicans Sweep All 9 Midwestern Gubernatorial Elections in 2014? (March 26, 2014)
- Can Dayton Catch Lightning in a Bottle Twice? (December 6, 2013)
- CT, IL, MN Gubernatorial Races: From 2010 Nail-Biters to 2014 Snoozers? (April 25, 2013)
- What Are Mark Dayton’s True Reelection Odds? (April 23, 2013)
- Can Mark Dayton Reach 50% in 2014? (March 19, 2013)
Sources
- State of Minnesota Legislative Manual, 2015-2016 (p. 502).