Minnesota elections: Which congress people are running for re-election?
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The presidential election isn't going to be the only tight race Minnesotans will cast their ballot for in November. All of Minnesota's eight seats for U.S. House of Representatives and one Senate seat are up for grabs, some of which are expected to be extremely competitive.
In recent years, Minnesota congress people have made big headlines on both sides of the aisle and have gained a watchful national eye as they made moves in Washington. So far, of the nine seats on the ballot, eight members of Congress are ready to fight to keep their names in D.C.
Who is running for re-election in Minnesota? Here's what you need to know.
More: Minnesota elections: Who's running in 2024? Here's who you need to know
Senator Amy Klobuchar
Party: Democrat
Assumed office: 2007
What to know: Klobuchar, 63, has been made a household name in Minnesota, and in recent years, across the country. This is, in part, due to her stronghold on the seat, serving for over 17 years as U.S. Senator, but also because of her 2020 presidential run. A number of GOP challengers have thrown their hats in the ring, none having gained significant name recognition or dollars so far.
District 1: Rep. Brad Finstad
Party: Republican
Assumed office: 2022
District: The first district is made up of 21 counties along the southern border of Minnesota with an abundance of farmland, stretching from South Dakota to Wisconsin, including large metro areas like Rochester where the Mayo Clinic is located.
What to know: Finstad, 47, won a special election in 2022 after the death of Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn. He handily won reelection the same year. Rochester attorney Rachel Bowman, who made an unsuccessful run for Secretary of State in 2013, declared her bid for the seat in February.
District 2: Rep. Angie Craig
Party: Democrat
Assumed office: 2019
District: Southern Twin Cities metro including large suburban communities as well as rural areas farther south.
What to know: Despite Craig having the upper hand as an incumbent, her purple district is sure to give her another tight race. Her last two elections have been handed to her by single digits. Craig unseated Republican Rep. Jason Lewis in 2019 when she won the seat. She is currently facing three GOP challengers, Marine Corps veteran Joe Teirab, criminal defense lawyer Tayler Rahm and former Mayor Mike Murphy of Lexington.
District 4: Rep. Betty McCollum
Party: Democrat
Assumed office: 2001
District: McCollum represents a majority of Ramsey County, including the state's capital, as well as the north and eastern suburbs of the metro.
What to know: McCollum is the longest serving member of the state's congressional delegation and has consistently won re-election with well over 50% of the vote since taking her seat.
District 5: Rep. Ilhan Omar
Party: Democratic
Assumed office: 2019
District: Omar represents the entirety of Minneapolis as well as surrounding suburbs and cities north, east and south of the metro area and is considered safely Democratic.
What to know: The race for the fifth district Democratic nomination is expected to be one of the most expensive and tightest in the country for primary elections. Omar is facing repeat challenger former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels who she barely beat by just 2 percentage points in 2022.
District 6: Rep. Tom Emmer
Party: Republican
Assumed office: 2015
District: The sixth district encompasses the northern and western suburbs of the Twin Cities.
What to know: Emmer currently serves as the Republican Majority Whip and has made national headlines for his hot and cold relationship with former President Trump. A Democrat hasn't held the district seat in over 20 years.
District 7: Rep. Michelle Fischbach
Party: Republican
Assumed office: 2021
District: Fischbach represents the western half of the state along the South Dakota border all the way up to Canada and all the way south to Iowa, making it the largest district in the state.
What to know: Fischbach beat out Former Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson who held the seat for 30 years in 2020 by over 14% of the vote. The former short-term lieutenant governor won her bid for reelection in 2022 by almost 40% of the vote.
District 8: Rep. Pete Stauber
Party: Republican
Assumed office: 2019
District: Stauber's district covers the northeastern most part of the state, including Duluth, Boundary Waters and the iron ranges.
What to know: The district has flipped back and forth between blue and red since the early 2000s. Despite this, Stauber beat out Democratic opponent Jennifer Schultz in 2022 by almost 15% of the vote. Schultz has announced another bid for the seat.
Minnesota's state primary will be held Aug. 13, early voting starting on June 28.
— Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA Today. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Minnesota elections: Congress people defending their seats in November
