What you need to know ahead of Minnesota’s primary election
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With the 2024 Minnesota primary elections coming up on Tuesday, here is what to know before you vote.
What is a judicial election and what do elected judges do?
Judicial elections select state and local judges. In Minnesota, a judge serves six-year terms. In the general election in November, voters will see both statewide and some local judicial races. Of the seven justices on the Minnesota Supreme Court, two of them are in contested elections.
For the Minnesota Court of Appeals, there are 19 judges and this year one is in a contested race. In some cases, Minnesota Court of Appeals judges must reside in a specific congressional district, but the election is still statewide. Learn more.
Who is running in Minnesota’s Senate race?
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and six candidates who want to replace her in November fielded questions about farm policy at Farm Fest last week. Klobuchar, a Democrat running for a fourth term, trumpeted her support for federal farm policies.
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While answering a question about how the federal government should respond to animal pandemics, Royce White — the Minnesota Republican Party’s endorse candidate — pivoted to climate change policies that target methane emissions from livestock.
Joe Fraser, a Republican challenging White in the GOP primary, said the next Farm Bill should support small farms. Learn more.
How will GOP candidates combat DFL incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar?
August’s primary, which includes eight Republican candidates, will determine who will advance to the general election and try to deny Klobuchar a fourth term that would be rare for Minnesota. Klobuchar is heavily favored in a DFL primary that has five candidates on the ballot.
Delegates to the Republican state convention endorsed Royce White, who has a bare-knuckle style but a raft of personal problems and off-color commentary that could turn off voters.
Some prominent party figures instead prefer Joe Fraser, a more-staid candidate who filed for the August primary despite previously saying he’d honor the convention endorsement. Learn more.
Control of the state Senate will be decided in November. Two DFLers are vying for a spot on the general election ballot
Minnesota state Sen. Kelly Morrison resigned her seat as she launches her bid to represent Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The move tees up a special election for her state Senate seat in District 45 and could determine whether Democrats maintain control of the chamber or if it could flip to GOP control. There are two DFLers vying to replace Morrison.
The winner will face the sole Republican candidate for the seat, Kathleen Fowke. Democrats held a one-seat majority, but the departure splits the Senate evenly between 33 Democrats and 33 Republicans. Learn more.
The GOP battle in the 7th District — Rep. Fischbach vs. challenger Boyd
Two-term U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach carved out a solidly conservative reputation at the state Capitol before winning a western Minnesota congressional seat four years ago. Yet some in her party don’t think Fischbach is conservative enough, and they’re backing challenger Steve Boyd in Minnesota’s Aug. 13 primary.
The winner will be heavily favored to secure the seat in November. Boyd was able to successfully block the Republican Party’s endorsement of Fischbach at their convention.
Neither mustered the votes necessary to win, but the congresswoman didn’t seem concerned about the endorsement situation when asked about it. Learn more.
Omar has familiar challenger in Minnesota's 5th, but the race isn't playing out in same way
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar has risen as a national political figure since first being elected to Congress in 2018 as part of progressive group dubbed “The Squad.”
That prominence has made her vulnerable to criticism from Republicans in powerful elected positions, but it doesn’t pose a threat to her in general elections. Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District is one of the most reliable Democratic strongholds in the country.
But in a primary election next Tuesday, Omar faces another challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who came two points from beating her in 2022 largely by overperforming the incumbent in the suburbs of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Learn more.