Election 2018: Minnesota Statewide Races Recap

There were several races across Minnesota for statewide offices. Here are a recap of those races:

US Senate: DFL candidate Amy Klobuchar has won re-election in Minnesota, defeating next-closest challenger, Republican Jim Newberger, 60 percent to 36 percent.

US Senate – Special Election: In a special election, to fill out the seat vacated by Senator Al Franken, DFL candidate, and the woman who replaced Franken, Tina Smith, has been elected to a term in the US Senate. Smith defeated Republican challenger Karin Housley 53 percent to 42 percent.

Governor: With Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton not running for re-election, it was time for Minnesota voters to appoint a new Governor. Tim Walz, and his running-mate, Peggy Flanagan, outlasted Jeff Johnson, and his running-mate, Donna Bergstrom, by more than 11 points, to win the Governor and Lieutenant Governor race in Minnesota.

Secretary Of State: Incumbent Secretary of State, DFL’er Steve Simon, handily won re-election for the Minnesota Secretary of State office, over challengers John Howe and William Denney.

State Auditor: DFL’er Julie Blaha edged out Republican Pam Myhra for the Minnesota office of State Auditor. Blaha won the election by a 49-percent to 43-percent margin.

Attorney General: Quite possibly one of the biggest elections statewide in Minnesota, after facing much controversy in the previous weeks and months, Keith Ellison edged out Doug Wardlow for the Attorney General’s spot in Minnesota. Ellison defeated Wardlow by just over four percentage points.