A general election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 4, 2014. All of Minnesota's executive officers were up for election as well as all the seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives, several state judicial seats, a United States Senate seat, all of Minnesota's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives, and several seats for local offices. A primary election was held on August 12, 2014, to nominate major political party candidates for partisan offices and candidates for nonpartisan offices.
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are currently 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory and shares its sovereignty with the federal government. Due to this shared sovereignty, Americans are citizens both of the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. State citizenship and residency are flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states, except for persons restricted by certain types of court orders. Four states use the term commonwealth rather than state in their full official names.
Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and northern regions of the United States. Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858, created from the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory. The state has a large number of lakes, and is known by the slogan the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". Its official motto is L'Étoile du Nord.
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, exactly twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Paul. Offices for members and staff, as well as most committee hearings, are located in the nearby State Office Building.
Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor Governor Mark Dayton sought re-election. Other candidates included Republican Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson, [1] Hannah Nicollet of the Independence Party, [2] Chris Wright of the Grassroots Party, and Libertarian Chris Holbrook. [3] Republicans Merrill Anderson, Scott Honour, former state House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, former state House Speaker Kurt Zellers, and Democrats Bill Dahn and Leslie Davis were defeated in the primary election. [4] [5] Republicans St. Louis County Commissioner Rob Farnsworth and state Senator Dave Thompson withdrew after failing to win their party's endorsement at the Republican state convention. [6] Dayton was re-elected to a second term.
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is a center-left political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is affiliated with the U.S. Democratic Party. Formed by a merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the left-wing Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1944, the DFL is one of only two state Democratic party affiliates of a different name.
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial governor, also served as state governor several years later. State governors are elected to office by popular vote, but territorial governors were appointed to the office by the United States president. The current governor of Minnesota is Tim Walz of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).
Mark Brandt Dayton is an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Minnesota from 2011 to 2019. He was a United States Senator for Minnesota from 2001 to 2007, and the Minnesota State Auditor from 1991 to 1995. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), which affiliates with the national Democratic Party.
Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor Attorney General Lori Swanson sought re-election. [7] Other candidates included Republican state Senator Scott Newman, [8] Brandan Borgos of the Independence Party, [9] Libertarian Mary O'Connor, former DFL state Representative Andy Dawkins of the Green Party, [10] and Dan Vacek running under the label "Legal Marijuana Now." [3] Republican Sharon Anderson was defeated in the primary election. [11] Swanson was re-elected to a third term.
Lori Swanson is an American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Minnesota from 2007 to 2019. She was the first female Attorney General elected in Minnesota. In 2018, she ran for Governor of Minnesota with running mate U.S. Representative Rick Nolan finishing in third place in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary.
The Republican Party of Minnesota is a conservative political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party.
Scott J. Newman is a Minnesota attorney and a Republican member of the Minnesota Senate. He represents Senate District 18, which includes portions of McLeod, Meeker, Sibley and Wright counties just west of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. He is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for attorney general in the 2014 election.
Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor Secretary of State Mark Ritchie announced on June 4, 2013, that he would not seek re-election. [12] Candidates that sought election include DFL state Representative Steve Simon, [13] former Republican state Representative Dan Severson, [14] Bob Helland of the Independence Party, [15] and Libertarian Bob Odden. [3] Democrats Dick Franson and Gregg Iverson, and David Singleton of the Independence Party were defeated in the primary election. [16] Democrats Rachel Bohman [17] and former state Representative Jeremy Kalin [18] withdrew in 2013 several months following their announcements. Republican Dennis Nguyen withdrew in mid-March 2014 following reports of an alleged strip club visit. [19] DFL state Representative Debra Hilstrom [20] and former Republican state Senator John Howe [21] withdrew after failing to win their party's endorsement at their party's state convention. Simon was elected.
The Minnesota Secretary of State is the state secretary of state of the state of Minnesota.
Donald Mark Ritchie is an American politician and a former Minnesota Secretary of State. Ritchie was elected the 21st Minnesota Secretary of State on November 7, 2006. He was re-elected in 2010. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. He grew up in Iowa, and graduated from Iowa State University in 1971. He and his wife, Nancy Gaschott, have lived in Minneapolis since 1986.
Steve Simon is a Minnesota politician. He is the 22nd Minnesota Secretary of State. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he previously represented District 46B in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor State Auditor Rebecca Otto announced on August 20, 2013, that she would seek re-election. [7] Other candidates included Republican Randy Gilbert, [22] Pat Dean of the Independence Party, [15] Judith Schwartzbacker of the Grassroots Party, and Libertarian Keegan Iversen. [3] Former DFL state House Minority Leader Matt Entenza was defeated in the primary election. [23] Otto was re-elected to a third term.
The Minnesota State Auditor is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. State of Minnesota. The State Auditor is charged with overseeing more than $20 billion spent annually by local governments in Minnesota. The State Auditor does this by performing audits of local government financial statements and by reviewing documents, data, reports and complaints reported to the Office. The financial information collected is analyzed and serves as the basis of statutory reports issued by the Office of the State Auditor. The State Auditor is elected and serves a four-year term.
Rebecca Otto is an American politician who served as State Auditor of Minnesota from 2007 to 2019. Affiliated with the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), she served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005 and on the Forest Lake School Board.
The Independence Party of Minnesota, formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is a political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was the party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura (1999–2003).
All 134 seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives were up for election. The Republican Party of Minnesota won a majority of seats.
Minnesota Supreme Court justices Wilhelmina Wright and David Lillehaug sought election to six-year terms following their respective appointments in 2012 and 2013 by Governor Mark Dayton. Several seats on the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Minnesota District Courts were up for election as well. [24] Both Wright and Lillehaug were elected.
Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor Senator Al Franken sought re-election. Other candidates included Republican Mike McFadden, [25] Steve Carlson of the Independence Party, [26] and Libertarian Heather Johnson. [27] Republicans state Representative Jim Abeler, [28] David Carlson, Patrick Munro, and Ole Savior; Democrat Sandra Henningsgard; and Tom Books, Jack Shepard, Kevin Terrell, [26] and Stephen Williams of the Independence Party were defeated in the primary election. [29] Republicans Chris Dahlberg, [30] Monti Moreno, [31] state Senator Julianne Ortman, [32] and Phillip Parrish [33] withdrew after failing to win their party's endorsement at the Republican state convention. Franken was re-elected to a second term.
All of Minnesota's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election. No political party gained or lost seats.
The 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 4, 2008. After a legal battle lasting over eight months, the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) candidate, Al Franken, defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in one of the closest elections in the history of the Senate. Franken took his oath of office on July 7, 2009, more than half a year after the end of Coleman's term on January 3, 2009.
The 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the 40th Governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota for a four-year term to begin in January 2011. The general election was contested by the major party candidates State Representative Tom Emmer (R–Delano), former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton (DFL), and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner. After a very close race, Dayton was elected governor. Emmer would be elected to the United States House of Representatives four years later.
Tom Horner is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. He was a candidate in the 2010 election for Governor of Minnesota.
Elections were held in Minnesota on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Primary elections took place on August 10, 2010.
Elections were held in Minnesota on November 4, 2008. Primary elections took place on September 9, 2008.
The 2012 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives as well as various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar was re-elected to a second term in a landslide, defeating the Republican nominee, State Representative Kurt Bills by almost one million votes, and carrying all but two of the state's counties.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the eight U.S. Representatives from the state of Minnesota. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate. Primary elections were held on August 14, 2012.
The 2014 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of Minnesota concurrently with the election to Minnesota's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2014 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Minnesota, concurrently with the election of the Governor of Minnesota, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
A special election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on February 12, 2013 to elect a new representative for District 14A in the Minnesota House of Representatives, caused by the resignation of Representative Steve Gottwalt on January 7, 2013. A primary election was not held. The election coincided with the District 19A special election. Tama Theis, the Republican Party of Minnesota nominee, won the special election.
The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota took place in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 4, 2014, to elect Minnesota's eight representatives in the United States House of Representatives for two-year terms, one from each of Minnesota's eight congressional districts. Primary elections were held on August 12, 2014.
The 2014 Minnesota Secretary of State election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Minnesota Secretary of State.
The 2014 Minnesota House of Representatives election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 4, 2014, to elect members to the House of Representatives of the 89th Minnesota Legislature. A primary election was held in several districts on August 12, 2014.
The 2014 Minnesota Attorney General election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Minnesota Attorney General.
The 2014 Minnesota State Auditor election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Minnesota State Auditor.
The 2016 Minnesota House of Representatives election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 8, 2016, to elect members to the House of Representatives of the 90th Minnesota Legislature. A primary election was held in several districts on August 9, 2016. The election coincided with the election of the other house of the Legislature, the Senate.
The 2016 Minnesota Senate election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 8, 2016, to elect members to the Senate of the 90th and 91st Minnesota Legislatures. A primary election was held in several districts on August 9, 2016. The election coincided with the election of the other house of the Legislature, the House of Representatives.
A special election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on February 9, 2016, to elect a new senator for District 35 in the Minnesota Senate, caused by the resignation of Senator Branden Petersen, effective on October 31, 2015. A primary election was held on January 12, 2016, to nominate a Republican Party of Minnesota candidate. Former state representative Jim Abeler, the Republican nominee, won the special election.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 6, 2018. All of Minnesota's executive officers were up for election as well as all the seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives, several judicial seats, a United States Senate seat, Minnesota's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives, and several seats for local offices. Special elections were also be held for a Minnesota Senate seat and Minnesota's Class 2 U.S. Senate seat. A primary election to nominate Republican and Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) candidates and several judicial and local primary elections were held on August 14, 2018.