WASHINGTON (AP) — Minnesota voters will elect a new governor and new senator Tuesday after retirement announcements by two prominent Democrats caused a reshuffling throughout the ballot.
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announcements → elect → ballot
Voters will also decide races for other federal and state offices, including contests across the state that could determine control of both chambers of the narrowly divided state Legislature.
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that → decide → Legislature
The state has been at the center of a political maelstrom in President Donald Trump’s second term, as the Republican president has focused much of his ire on Minnesota and its Democratic leaders.
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president → focus → Minnesota
In the Senate race, Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster, are among four candidates vying to replace Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who announced in 2025 that she would not seek a second full term.
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she → vie → term
Flanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig in the Aug. 11 primary, 59% to 39%, in one of several Democratic primary matchups this year where progressive candidates outperformed establishment favorites.
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candidates → defeat → favorites
Smith backed Flanagan in the primary, as did Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Ilhan Omar of the 5th Congressional District.
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Warren → back → District
Outgoing Democratic Gov. Tim Walz did not make an endorsement.
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Walz → make → endorsement
Tafoya defeated eight candidates in her primary, including former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze, who had the state party’s endorsement.
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who → defeat → endorsement
Trump did not back any candidate in the primary but endorsed Tafoya on Monday for the general election.
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Trump → back → election
In the race for governor, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth are among three candidates running to replace Walz.
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Klobuchar → run → Walz
Demuth was the top vote-getter in a seven-candidate primary field that included prominent 2020 election denier and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, who had Trump’s endorsement.
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who → include → endorsement
Klobuchar faced minimal opposition for the Democratic nomination.
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Klobuchar → face → nomination
Democrats have a one-seat advantage in the 67-member state Senate.
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Democrats → have → Senate
In the 134-member state House, Democrats and Republicans were deadlocked at 67 seats each until a Republican member vacated his seat after the session adjourned for the year.
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session → deadlocke → year
Trump lost Minnesota in all three of his presidential campaigns.
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Trump → lose → campaigns
His best showing was in 2016, when he came within 1.5 percentage points of victory.
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he → come → victory
He lost by about 4 points in 2024, receiving 46.7% of the vote.
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He → lose → vote
In statewide races, Democrats typically post big wins in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in Hennepin and Ramsey counties.
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Democrats → post → counties
They also typically carry the Duluth area in the northeast and the Rochester area in the southeast.
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They → carry → southeast
Republicans have performed best in smaller, more rural counties across the state.
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Republicans → perform → state
Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s 2006 reelection was the last statewide contest Republicans won in Minnesota.
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Republicans → win → Minnesota
The last Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Minnesota was Norm Coleman in 2002.
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Republican → win → 2002
Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:
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votes → monitor → election
When do polls close?
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polls → close → ?
Polls close at 8 p.m. CT, which is 9 p.m. ET.
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which → close → p.m.
What’s on the ballot?
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What → ’ → ballot
The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, state Senate, state House and a statewide ballot measure.
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Press → provide → state
How many people actually vote?
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people → vote → ?
About 2.5 million votes were cast in Minnesota’s 2022 election for governor.
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votes → cast → governor
How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?
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much → cast → ballot
About 27% of the vote in the 2022 gubernatorial election was cast early in person or by mail.
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% → cast → mail
When are early and absentee votes released?
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votes → release → ?
Counties are expected to release results from early in-person and mail voting throughout the night, along with results from in-person Election Day voting.
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Counties → expect → voting
The first vote reports of the night are expected to include results from all vote types.
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reports → expect → types
Hennepin County, the state’s most populous, expects to release complete results from all vote types in the first vote update.
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County → expect → update
Ramsey and Dakota counties are expected to release relatively few results in their first vote updates, regardless of vote type.
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counties → expect → type
How long does vote-counting usually take?
In the 2024 general election, the AP first reported results at 9:08 p.m. ET, or eight minutes after polls closed.
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polls → take → ET
The vote count reached the halfway point at 11:40 p.m. ET.
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count → reach → ET
The last vote update of the night was at 5:19 a.m. ET Wednesday morning with more than 99% of total votes counted.
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% → count → votes
When will the AP declare a winner?
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AP → declare → winner
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
