2018 MN Primary Election Results: Walz, Johnson Win

MINNESOTA — Come November, eyes across the nation will be watching the Land of 10,000 Lakes and a number of high-profile political battles for governor and two Senate seats. In an election-night stunner, Republican candidate for governor Jeff Johnson soundly defeated former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty. Johnson currently serves as a Hennepin County commissioner.

Both Johnson and Pawlenty ran staunchly conservative campaigns and vowed to support policies set forth by the Trump administration.

Democratic candidate for governor Tim Walz defeated challengers Erin Murphy and Lori Swanson.

Walz's running mate, Peggy Flanagan, would become the first Native American to serve as lieutenant governor in Minnesota if elected.

Walz and Johnson will face off in November.

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Minnesota's two U.S. Senate races

Within an hour of Minnesota polls closing Tuesday, the four Senate races were called. Incumbent Senator Amy Klobuchar and appointed Senator Tina Smith won the Democratic nomination in their respective races.

Klobuchar will run for her third term in the U.S. Senate. Smith will run in the special election held to replace Al Franken, who resigned from the Senate in January amid sexual misconduct allegations.

• Smith will face Republican Karin Housley, who easily won her primary race Tuesday.
• Klobuchar will face Republican challenger Jim Newberger, who also won by a wide margin.

United States House

Quickly following Senate results were the races called for U.S. House.

• Republican Jim Hagedorn won the nomination for U.S. House in the First District. He will face Democrat Dan Feehan.
• Republican Rep. Jason Lewis will face Democrat Angie Craig in the Second District.
• Democrat Dean Phillips won the nomination for U.S. House in the Third District. He will face Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen.
• Democrat Rep. Betty McCollum won the nomination for U.S. House in Fourth District. She will face Republican Greg Ryan.
• Democrat Ilhan Omar won the nomination and will seek to replace outgoing Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison in Congress. Omar will face Republican Jennifer Zielinski.
• Republican Rep. Tom Emmer won the nomination for U.S. House in the Sixth District. He will face Democrat Ian Todd.
• Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson will face Republican Dave Hughes in the Seventh District.
• Donald Trump-endorsed candidate Pete Stauber won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Minnesota's Eight District. He will face Democrat Joe Radinovich.

Attorney General

Typically a low-profile race, the contest for Minnesota’s attorney general became the subject of national news just days before the primary. Democratic congressman and candidate for attorney general Keith Ellison denied an allegation that he physically abused his ex-girlfriend.

A man claiming to be the son of Karen Monahan, who was in a relationship with Ellison for years, posted the allegation on Facebook Saturday.

Despite the allegation, Ellison won the Democratic primary for attorney general Tuesday. He will face Republican Doug Wardlow.

Primary voting at a historic high in Minneapolis

With the final tally in the primary completed, Minneapolis served a total of 93,534 voters. That’s the city’s highest turnout in a midterm primary since 1970.

Early turnout during the 46-day absentee balloting period remained steady, resulting in a total of 14,994 ballots. Absentee ballots accounted for nearly 16 percent of total turnout this year, a sizable increase compared to prior midterm election years: 6.5 percent in 2010 and 13.5 percent in 2014.

Absentee balloting accounted for just 13.2 percent of total turnout in the 2016 primary presidential election.

Despite growth in early voting, the majority of voters continued to cast ballots on the day of the primary. A total of 78,540 ballots were cast at the polls Tuesday, accounting for 84 percent of the final tally.

MINNESOTA — Voters across the Land of 10,000 Lakes will head to the polls Tuesday in a primary that’s expected to feature close results and high turnout. Early absentee voting is up more than 150 percent from the same time in 2016, election officials announced last week.

Voters will see a jam-packed ballot featuring a governor's race, two Senate races, races for the U.S. House, and more. The winners in the August primary will represent their parties in the general election on Nov. 6.

Polls are open statewide until 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Few hiccups at the polls: A poll worker at Saint Paul's Summit Church told Patch just after 8 a.m. things there were fairly slow, but it's expected to pickup later. By 8:20 a.m. a small line had already begun to form.

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Voters across the metro are so far reporting few, if any lines at the polls.

"No wait at [Centennial] Methodist, but I got to vote for a woman for Governor!" Shannon Cunningham, of Roseville, told Patch on Facebook.

"No - breezed right through," said Erin Murray Brumm.

"Walked right in.. in and out in less than 5 minutes. Precinct 16 at SLPMiddle School," wrote Sue Carmany Mack.

"Precinct 9 - Prince [of] Peace. No lines and very friendly election judges!" said Kari Pfeiffer.

Are there lines at your polling location? How long did you have to wait to vote? Let us know in the comments!

Residents in the Twin Cities should expect mostly clear conditions when they head to the polls Tuesday. It will be partly sunny with a high near 82, according to the National Weather Service.

There will be a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

For voting information and help, call state officials at:

• Metro Area: (651) 215-1440
• Greater MN: 1-877-600-VOTE (8683)
• MN Relay Service: 711

Trump's late push

Looking to influence the outcome in Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District, President Donald Trump gave his full support to Republican House primary candidate Pete Stauber.

"Pete Stauber is running for Congress in Minnesota. He will make for a great Congressman," Trump tweeted Monday afternoon.

"Pete is strong on crime and borders, loves our Military, Vets and Second Amendment. Vote for Pete tomorrow. He has my full and total Endorsement!"

Stauber faces off against fellow Republican Soren Sorensen Tuesday.

Voting in the primary

Minnesota Patch readers sounded off on Facebook about why they’re motivated to vote in this year’s primary.

“The realization that too many years of not paying enough attention have brought us to the current situation,” wrote Padruig Maclennan.

“Blue wave,” said Jackie Lucy Speich.

“Keeping [Trump’s] agenda,” wrote Steven Jones.

“Because freedom is too precious to leave to chance,” writes Wesley Brian.

“Already voted on an absentee ballot, I want to make sure my voice is heard,” says Madelyn Lewis.

“So I can have my say, albeit a very small one, in how things are run,” notes Erik Unstad.

“I am a true believer that if you don’t vote, you have no reason to complain when you don’t like the results,” wrote Melinda Nygaard-Adams.

Two Senate races

In a highly unusual wrinkle this election cycle, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Tina Smith are both running.

After Al Franken resigned from the Senate in January amid a slew of sexual misconduct allegations, Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Smith, then the lieutenant governor, to Franken’s seat.

Franken said it was ironic he was forced out of the Senate while Trump remained in office.

"There is some irony that I am leaving while a man who bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office, and a man who preyed on young girls runs for Senate with the full support of his party,” he said on the Senate floor back in December.

Read more: Franken Resigns: 'Ironic' I'm Leaving While Trump Is In Office

Minnesota law requires Smith to run in a special election this year. The winner in November will serve out the remainder of Franken’s term.

Candidates for U.S. Senator (Special election for Al Franken's seat)

Republicans

• Nikolay Nikolayevich Bey
• Bob Anderson
• Karin Housley

Democrats

• Christopher Lovell Seymore Sr.
• Gregg A. Iverson
• Tina Smith (appointed incumbent)
• Nick Leonard
• Richard W. Painter
• Ali Chehem Ali

Candidates for Senate seat currently held by Amy Klobuchar

Republicans

• Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente
• Jim Newberger
• Merrill Anderson
• Rae Hart Anderson

Democrats

• Stephen A. Emery
• Amy Klobuchar (incumbent)
• David Robert Groves
• Leonard J. Richards
• Steve Carlson

Double murderer running for Senate in Minnesota

Leonard Joseph Richards, 75, used a loophole in the Land of 10,000 Lakes to get his name on the ballot ahead of the November midterms.

While felons are banned from running for state-level positions, there's nothing on the books that prevents them from running for a federal office in Minnesota. Richards — who has been incarcerated since 1991 — was convicted of murdering his half-sister, May Wilson, and his lawyer, Robert Stratton.

He's officially running against Democratic incumbent Amy Klobuchar in the party's primary.

Open Governor’s race

After serving two terms, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is retiring, leaving a highly competitive race for the state’s highest office.

Candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor:

Republicans

• Mathew Kruse and Theresa Loeffler
• Jeff Johnson and Donna Bergstrom
• Tim Pawlenty and Michelle Fischbach

Democrats

• Erin Murphy and Erin Maye-Quade
• Lori Swanson and Rick Nolan
• Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan
• Tim Holden and James P. Mellin II
• Olé Savior and Chris Edman

Attorney General

Republicans

• Doug Wardlow
• Robert Lessard
• Sharon Anderson

Democrats

• Mike Rothman
• Debra Hilstrom
• Matt Pelikan
• Tom Foley
• Keith Ellison

Replacing Keith Ellison in the fifth district

Self-described democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose recent win in New York's Democratic primary sent shockwaves through the party's establishment wing, is asking Minnesotans to support Ilhan Omar for Congress.

Omar, who currently represents a portion of Minneapolis in the state House, is running for Rep. Keith Ellison's seat in Congress. Ellison withdrew from his re-election campaign earlier this year to run for attorney general.

READ MORE: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Minn. Candidate For Congress

Minnesotans Tuesday will be asked to vote on the following primary candidates for the U.S. House:

U.S. Representative District 1

Republicans

• Carla Nelson
• Jim Hagedorn

Democrats

• Dan Feehan

U.S. Representative District 4

Republicans

• Greg Ryan

Democrats

• Reid Rossell
• Betty McCollum (incumbent)
• Muad Hassan

U.S. Representative District 5

Republicans

• Jennifer Zielinski

Democrats

• Jamal Abdulahi
• Margaret Anderson Kelliher
• Ilhan Omar
• Patricia Torres Ray

U.S. Representative District 6

Republicans

• Tom Emmer (incumbent)

Democrats

• Aliena Kern
• Ian Todd

U.S. Representative District 7

Republicans

• David Hughes
• Matt Prosch

Democrats

• Collin Peterson (incumbent)

U.S. Representative District 8

The eighth district is expected to draw national attention this election cycle, thanks to recent visits there from Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Trump won the district in 2016, but voters there also reelected Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan.

Nolan is leaving his seat in 2019, and Republicans are hopeful they can reclaim the district in the November midterms.

Republican candidate Pete Stauber won the party's endorsement for the race in May and has the support of the president.

Republicans

• Soren Sorensen
• Pete Stauber

Democrats

• Kirsten Kennedy
• Michelle Lee
• Jason Metsa
• Joe Radinovich

Independence Party

• Ray Sandman

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