Minnesota 2026 Election Results: Klobuchar Becomes the State's First Woman Governor, Flanagan Elected to the U.S. Senate

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 · States · GSM News

Governor and U.S. Senator

Minnesota voted in the 2026 midterm elections on November 3 (the state's Democratic organization is the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, DFL). The results below are the collective choice of the state's voters. According to the Minnesota Secretary of State's official unofficial count and Associated Press race calls, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar was elected governor with 55.46% and will be Minnesota's first woman governor, and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan was elected to the U.S. Senate with 53.71% as the state's first Native American senator. Democrats won all four statewide elected executive offices; the ballot's single constitutional amendment passed; seven of the eight U.S. House seats have been called, with District 1 listed by leader only; and Democrats took sole control of the state House out of a tie, while Hmong American state Reps. XP Lee and Samantha Vang were both reelected.

Governor: Amy Klobuchar (DFL), 1,569,695 votes, 55.46%, elected. Gov. Tim Walz did not seek a third term; the seat was open. The AP called the race at 12:07 a.m. ET on November 4. Klobuchar will be the first woman governor in Minnesota history.

Governor, other candidates: Lisa Demuth (R, the sitting state House speaker), 1,206,583 votes, 42.63%; Steven Young (Green), 51,403 votes. Ben Schierer (DFL) was elected lieutenant governor on Klobuchar's ticket.

U.S. Senator: Peggy Flanagan (DFL, the sitting lieutenant governor), 1,520,869 votes, 53.71%, elected — a Democratic hold of the seat Sen. Tina Smith retired from. The AP called the race at 12:07 a.m. ET on November 4. Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, is Minnesota's first Native American U.S. senator.

U.S. Senate, other candidates: Michele Tafoya (R), 1,233,466 votes, 43.56%; Marisa Simonetti (independent), 41,573 votes; Rebecca Whiting (Libertarian), 32,493 votes. The state's other Senate seat was Klobuchar's own; on becoming governor she must resign it, and the vacancy will be filled by a gubernatorial appointee, not yet named at the time of compilation.

Other Statewide Offices

Attorney General: Keith Ellison (DFL, incumbent), 1,520,401 votes, 54.3%, reelected to a third term. Ron Schutz (R) took 1,275,401 votes, 45.5%.

Secretary of State: Steve Simon (DFL, incumbent), 1,529,173 votes, 54.71%, reelected to a fourth term. Tad Jude (R) took 1,168,655 votes, 41.81%; George Tangen (Libertarian), 54,691 votes; Seth Kuhl-Stennes (Green), 41,387 votes.

State Auditor: Zack Filipovich (DFL), 52.94%, elected. Incumbent Julie Blaha did not seek reelection; the open seat was a Democratic hold. Scott Jensen (R) took 44.17% and Jay Reeves (Forward Independence) 2.84%.

Treasurer: Minnesota has no elected treasurer — the elected treasurer's office was abolished in 2003 and its functions moved to an appointed commissioner of finance. Commissioners for education, natural resources, health and other agencies are likewise appointed, with no elections.

In sum, Democrats (DFL) won all four statewide elected executive offices on this ballot: governor, attorney general, secretary of state and auditor.

Ballot Questions

The ballot carried one statewide question. Amendment 1: amend the constitution to increase distributions from the Permanent School Fund to school districts statewide, raising school funding without raising income or property taxes, effective July 1, 2027. Yes 2,068,126 votes, No 666,639 — passed. Called by the AP; per the Secretary of State, all 4,105 precincts have reported, and counting blank ballots (which count as no votes on Minnesota amendments), Yes amounts to about 72.8% of all voters.

U.S. House

Overview: the state has eight seats, split 4-4 between the DFL and Republicans before the election. Seven have been called — four DFL, three Republican — and District 1 is uncalled. None of the seven called seats flipped; all were held by the incumbent party.

District 1: not yet called. Jake Johnson (DFL), 163,055 votes, leads incumbent Brad Finstad (R), 162,733 votes, by just 322 votes, about 50.0% to 49.9%; a recount is expected. If his lead holds it would be the state's only House flip this year.

District 2: Matt Little (DFL), about 57%, elected over Eric Pratt (R), about 43%. Rep. Angie Craig did not seek reelection; the open seat was a Democratic hold.

District 3: Kelly Morrison (DFL), reelected over Tyler Bass (R).

District 4: Betty McCollum (DFL), reelected.

District 5: Ilhan Omar (DFL), reelected to a fifth term.

District 6: Tom Emmer (R), reelected over Doug Chapin (DFL).

District 7: Michelle Fischbach (R), reelected over Erik Osberg (DFL).

District 8: Pete Stauber (R), reelected over Trina Swanson (DFL).

Chinese American / Asian American winners: none among the called winners or the District 1 leader, and no Hmong American winner at this level; Minnesota's Hmong American wins came in the state legislature — see State Legislature.

State Legislature

State Senate: all 67 seats were up. The DFL held 34 seats to the Republicans' 33 before the election; on the Secretary of State's unofficial tally the DFL holds 39 to 28 — majority kept and widened. Several races were decided by dozens of votes and await recounts.

State House: all 134 seats were up. The chamber stood tied 67-67 under a power-sharing arrangement before the election; on the Secretary of State's unofficial tally the DFL holds 77 seats to the Republicans' 57 — sole control and a flip of the chamber (the AP's slower call snapshot differs; the official count governs).

Hmong American winners: state Rep. XP Lee (Xiongpao Lee, DFL), a Hmong American, was reelected in state House District 34B with 68% over Ruth Bittner (R), 32%; state Rep. Samantha Vang (DFL), also a Hmong American, was reelected in District 38B with 79% over Robert Marvin (R), 21%. Both are Hmong (not Chinese American).

With the governorship and both chambers, Minnesota has a DFL trifecta.

Counting and Certification

All figures are from the Minnesota Secretary of State's official unofficial count and AP calls as of the morning of November 4, with 100% of precincts reporting and an estimated 98.8% of votes counted. A record 983,558 early and absentee ballots for a non-presidential year were accepted before Election Day. House District 1 awaits a call and an expected recount. All unofficial totals become final only after the state canvassing board meets on November 19. GSM will update this list after the remaining calls and certification.

Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图片来源：明尼苏达州议会大厦（Saint Paul），Myotus 摄，CC BY 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）