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Minnesota primary: Peggy Flanagan, Lisa Demuth win races
Peggy Flanagan won the DFL primary for U.S. Senate, setting up a general election matchup with Republican Michele Tafoya, while Lisa Demuth won the GOP primary for governor and will face Amy Klobuchar.
(FOX 9) - Minnesotans turned out in record numbers for the Aug. 11 primary, marking a new milestone for the state’s elections in the process.
Minnesota sets primary voting record
What we know:
According to unofficial election results from Minnesota's Secretary of State's Office (SOS), more than 1,103,000 Minnesotans cast ballots in the statewide races, which is about 25% of eligible voters in the state. The state's SOS website notes that the percentage of voter turnout used is calculated by dividing the number of ballots cast by the total number of eligible voters in the state.
Dig deeper:
The statistics show that this is the first time in Minnesota’s history that more than 1 million votes have been cast in a primary election, surpassing the previous record of 925,554 ballots set in 2018.
What they're saying:
"Minnesotans value democracy and they’ve proved it once again by showing up to vote in record numbers," Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said in a statement on Wednesday.
The backstory:
Minnesota primary results
Governor
Dig deeper:
Candidates were decided in several pivotal races across Minnesota ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election.
In the race to be the state’s next governor after Gov. Walz said he would not seek a third term, Sen. Amy Klobuchar handedly won the DFL nomination, securing 89.7% of votes.
On the other side of the ticket, Rep. Lisa Demuth edged out former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who made national headlines after receiving an overwhelming endorsement from President Trump.
US Senate
Dig deeper:
Minnesota has an open U.S. Senate seat after Democrat Sen. Tina Smith opted not to run for another term, opening up one of the most debated races behind the one for governor.
In the Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. Peggy Smith and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig competed for the party's nomination, with Flangan earning the nod after receiving 59.0% of votes.
On the other side, former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya won the GOP nomination over Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze, after getting 52.1% of votes.
Congressional Districts
Dig deeper:
Detailed results for Minnesota Congressional races in districts 1-8, effectively encompassing residents in every region of the state, can be found here.
What's next:
Minnesota's SOS says election results from the primary will be reviewed and certified by counties over the next week, with the final results presented to the State Canvassing Board on Aug. 18.
The Source: Information provided by the Minnesota Secretary of State.