United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2020

Elections in Minnesota, 2020

• Election date: Nov. 3
• Registration deadline(s): Oct. 13
• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Recount laws

• Early voting starts: Sept. 18
• Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (postmarked); Nov. 10 (received)
• Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
• Voter ID: No ID
• Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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2022 → ← 2018
U.S. Senate, Minnesota
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 2, 2020
Primary: August 11, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Tina Smith (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Minnesota
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
U.S. Senate, Minnesota U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th Minnesota elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 Alabama U.S. Senate raceAlaska U.S. Senate raceArizona U.S. Senate raceArkansas U.S. Senate raceColorado U.S. Senate raceDelaware U.S. Senate raceGeorgia U.S. Senate raceIdaho U.S. Senate raceIllinois U.S. Senate raceIowa U.S. Senate raceKansas U.S. Senate raceKentucky U.S. Senate raceLouisiana U.S. Senate raceMaine U.S. Senate raceMassachusetts U.S. Senate raceMichigan U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate raceMississippi U.S. Senate raceMontana U.S. Senate raceNebraska U.S. Senate raceNew Hampshire U.S. Senate raceNew Jersey U.S. Senate raceNew Mexico U.S. Senate raceNorth Carolina U.S. Senate raceOklahoma U.S. Senate raceOregon U.S. Senate raceRhode Island U.S. Senate raceSouth Carolina U.S. Senate raceSouth Dakota U.S. Senate raceTennessee U.S. Senate raceTexas U.S. Senate raceVirginia U.S. Senate raceWest Virginia U.S. Senate raceWyoming U.S. Senate raceSubmit

Incumbent Tina Smith (D) defeated Jason Lewis (R), Oliver Steinberg (Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota), and Kevin O'Connor (Legal Marijuana Now Party) in the U.S. Senate election in Minnesota on November 3, 2020.

Smith was appointed to the seat in 2018 following Al Franken's (D) resignation. Smith won a special election to complete Franken's term in 2018, winning 53% of the vote to Karin Housley's (R) 42%.

Lewis served in the U.S. House from 2017 to 2019. He defeated Angie Craig (D) in 2016 47% to 45%. In 2018, Lewis lost to Craig 47% to 53%.

Heading into the election, Minnesota had not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since the 2002 election of Norm Coleman (R). The National Republican Senatorial Committee said a competitive 2020 presidential race in the state put the Senate seat in play for Republicans.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) defeated Donald Trump (R) in Minnesota 46.4% to 44.9%. Barack Obama (D) defeated Mitt Romney (R) in the state 52.8% to 45.1% in 2008. No Republican had won Minnesota in a presidential election since Richard Nixon (R) in 1972.

The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. Senate. Thirty-five of 100 seats were up for election, including two special elections. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 53-45 majority over Democrats in the Senate. Independents who caucus with the Democrats held the two remaining seats. Republicans faced greater partisan risk in the election. They defended 23 seats while Democrats defended 12. Both parties had two incumbents representing states the opposite party's presidential nominee won in 2016.

This race was one of 89 congressional races that were decided by 10 percent or less in 2020.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

This election was a battleground race. Other 2020 battlegrounds included:

Indiana's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary) Municipal elections in Cook County, Illinois (2020) Nevada State Senate elections, 2020

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Minnesota modified its absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

• Absentee/mail-in voting: The absentee/mail-in ballot postmark deadline was extended to November 3, 2020; the receipt deadline was extended to November 10, 2020. The witness requirement for absentee/mail-in ballots was suspended.
• Candidate filing procedures: General election candidates were allowed to submit filing forms and petitions electronically.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Minnesota

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Minnesota on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tina Smith (D)	48.8	1,566,522
		Jason Lewis (R)	43.6	1,398,145
		Kevin O'Connor (Legal Marijuana Now Party)	5.8	185,064
		Oliver Steinberg (Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota)	1.8	57,174
	Submit photo	Rob Barrett Jr. (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	22
		George Dennis Jr. (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	5
		Steve Carlson (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	3
		John Berman (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	2
	Submit photo	Jason Shaver (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Josh Ondich (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	2,261

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,209,198
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota

Incumbent Tina Smith defeated Paula Overby, Ahmad Hassan, Steve Carlson, and Christopher Seymore in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota on August 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tina Smith	87.1	497,501
		Paula Overby	5.3	30,497
		Ahmad Hassan	3.5	20,037
		Steve Carlson	2.9	16,429
		Christopher Seymore	1.1	6,480

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 570,944 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Alexandra Marie Holker (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota

Jason Lewis defeated Cynthia Gail, John Berman, Bob Carney Jr., and James Reibestein in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota on August 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Lewis	78.1	191,288
	Submit photo	Cynthia Gail	7.2	17,675
		John Berman	6.6	16,212
		Bob Carney Jr.	4.3	10,503
	Submit photo	James Reibestein	3.8	9,210

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 244,888 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Forest Hyatt (R)
• Christopher Chamberlin (R)
• Theron Preston Washington (R)
• Rob Barrett Jr. (R)

Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota primary election

Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota

Oliver Steinberg advanced from the Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota on August 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Oliver Steinberg	100.0	3,275

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,275 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Legal Marijuana Now Party primary election

Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota

Kevin O'Connor advanced from the Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota on August 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kevin O'Connor	100.0	6,996

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,996 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Tina Smith

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

• U.S. Senate (Assumed office: 2018)
• Lieutenant governor of Minnesota (2015-2018)

Biography: 

Smith holds a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Dartmouth College. Before entering politics, she worked as a marketing professional with General Mills. Smith served as chief of staff for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Gov. Mark Dayton (D).

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Smith described herself as a progressive and a fierce advocate.

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Smith said she worked across the aisle to pass the Farm Bill, legislation expanding opioid abuse treatment and prevention, and legislation expanding career and technical training. She said Lewis had extreme views and would not work across the aisle.

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Smith says her first act in the Senate was to introduce legislation to lower prescription drug prices and that she was working on a plan to manufacture drugs in the U.S.

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Show sources

Sources: Tina Smith's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed September 14, 2020; Tina Smith's 2020 campaign website, "Meet Tina," accessed September 14, 2020; YouTube, "First Day," September 2, 2020; Tina Smith's 2020 campaign website, "Press," accessed September 24, 2020; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Smith, Tina," accessed September 14, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Minnesota in 2020.

Jason Lewis

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

U.S. House (2017-2019)

Biography:  Lewis graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a B.A. and received an M.A. in political science from the University of Colorado Denver. He worked as a radio show host and conservative commentator. Lewis also wrote for the Star Tribune of Minneapolis as a contributing columnist.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Lewis emphasized that President Donald Trump endorsed him.

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Lewis said he helped "pass historic tax cuts and regulatory reform to improve the nation’s economy and spur jobs and wages" in the House. He emphasized his work on getting locally elected members onto Met Council boards, on passing career and technical education legislation, and on the Budget Committee.

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Lewis said Smith supported radical policies of Medicare for All and defunding the police and that she profited from stock sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Show sources

Sources: Jason Lewis' 2020 campaign website, "Home," accesses September 14, 2020; YouTube, "Team Lewis: Videos," accessed September 14, 2020; Jason Lewis' 2020 campaign website, "About Jason Lewis," accessed September 14, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Minnesota in 2020.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

U.S. Senate election in Minnesota, 2020
Poll	Date	Smith	Lewis	O'Connor	Steinberg	Undecided/Not sure/Refused	Someone else	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Research Co.	Oct. 31-Nov. 1	50%	39%	--	--	9%	2%	± 4.6	450	--
SurveyUSA	Oct. 23-27	45%	42%	--	--	10%	3%	± 4.6	649	KSTP-TV
SurveyUSA	Oct. 16-20	43%	42%	--	--	12%	3%	± 5	625	KSTP-TV
Civiqs	Oct. 17-20	54%	43%	1%	1%	1%	0%	± 3.6	840	Daily Kos
Change Research	Oct. 12-15	48%	44%	3%	1%	5%	--	± 3.1	1,021	MinnPost

Click [show] to see older poll results
Poll	Date	Smith	Lewis	O'Connor	Steinberg	Undecided/Not sure/Refused	Someone else	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
SurveyUSA	Oct. 1-6	44%	37%	--	--	16%	4%	± 3.9	929	ABC 6 News
Suffolk University	Sept. 20-24	45%	36%	2%	1%	16%	1%	± 4.4	500	USA Today
Mason-Dixon	Sept. 21-23	49%	41%	--	--	10%	--	± 3.5	800	Star Tribune/MPR News/KARE 11
Redfield & Wilton Strategies	Sept. 12-17	51%	36%	--	--	11%	2%	± 3.7	718	--
YouGov	Sept. 9-11	47%	40%	--	--	10%	2%	± 3.6	1,031	CBS News
The New York Times/Siena College	Sept. 8-10	49%	40%	--	--	11%	--	± 3.9	814	--
SurveyUSA	Sept. 3-4	47%	36%	--	--	14%	3%	± 5.2	553	KSTP-TV
Public Policy Polling	Sept. 3-4	49%	41%	--	--	7%	3%	± 3.3	877	--
Emerson	Aug. 8-10	48%	45%	--	--	7%	--	± 3.6	733	--

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Tina Smith	Democratic Party	$16,468,405	$16,100,432	$801,755	As of December 31, 2020
Jason Lewis	Republican Party	$7,074,338	$6,713,813	$360,525	As of December 31, 2020
Oliver Steinberg	Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Kevin O'Connor	Legal Marijuana Now Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Rob Barrett Jr.	Independent	$35,975	$36,409	$3,979	As of December 31, 2020
John Berman	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Steve Carlson	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
George Dennis Jr.	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Josh Ondich	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Jason Shaver	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.

• Tina Smith
• Jason Lewis

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement	Smith (D)	Lewis (R)
Newspapers and editorials
Minneapolis Star-Tribune editorial board	✔
Forum Communications Co.		✔
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)		✔
Individuals
2020 Democratic presidential nominee/former Vice President Joe Biden	✔

Timeline

2020

• November 2020 (click to collapse)

  • Nov. 1, 2020: A Research Co. poll showed Smith with 50% to Lewis' 39%. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 4.6 percentage points.

• October 2020 (click to expand)

  • Oct. 27, 2020: A SurveyUSA poll showed Smith with 45% to Lewis' 42%. The poll had a credibility interval of +/- 4.6 percentage points.

  • Oct. 20, 2020:
    • A Civiqs poll conducted for Daily Kos showed Smith with 54% to Lewis' 43%. The margin of error was +/- 3.6 percentage points.
    • A SurveyUSA poll showed Smith with 43% to Lewis' 42%. The poll had a credibility interval of +/- 5 percentage points.

  • Oct. 15, 2020:
    • Lewis' campaign announced he was out of self-quarantine after testing negative for COVID-19. Lewis announced he was entering self-quarantine Oct. 7 after a contact tested positive for COVID-19. Lewis had also quarantined following the October 2 announcement that Trump had tested positive and ended quarantine on October 5 after having tested negative.
    • A Change Research poll showed Smith with 48% to Lewis' 44%. The margin of error was +/- 3.1 percentage points.

  • Oct. 12, 2020: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune endorsed Smith.

  • Oct. 6, 2020: A SurveyUSA poll showed Smith with 44% to Lewis' 37%. The credibility interval was +/- 3.9 percentage points.

  • Oct. 2, 2020: MPR News hosted a debate.

• September 2020 (click to expand)

  September

  • September 30, 2020: Forum Communications Co. endorsed Lewis.

  • September 28, 2020: 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (D) endorsed Smith.

  • September 24, 2020: A Suffolk University poll showed Smith with 45% to Lewis' 35%. The margin of error was +/- 4.4 percentage points.

  • September 23, 2020: A Mason-Dixon poll showed Smith with 49% to Lewis' 41%. The margin of error was +/- 3.5 percentage points.

  • September 18, 2020: The Duluth News Tribune and the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a debate.

  • September 17, 2020: A Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll showed Smith with 51% and Lewis with 36%. The poll's margin of error was +/- 3.7 percentage points.

  • September 11, 2020: A YouGov poll showed Smith with 47%, Lewis with 40%. The poll's margin of error was +/- 3.6 percentage points.

  • September 10, 2020: A New York Times/Siena College poll showed Smith with 49% and Lewis with 40%. The poll's margin of error was +/- 3.9 percentage points.

  • September 4, 2020:
    • A Public Policy Polling survey showed Smith with 49% to Lewis' 41%, with a +/- 3.3 percentage point margin of error.
    • A SurveyUSA poll showed Smith with 47% to Lewis' 36%, with a +/- 5.2-point credibility interval.

• August 2020 (click to expand)

  August

  • August 10, 2020: An Emerson poll showed Smith with 48% to Lewis' 45%. The poll had a credibility interval of +/- 3.6 percentage points.

• July 2020 (click to expand)

  July

  • July 22, 2020: Campaign finance reports through this date showed Smith had raised $10.1 million to Lewis' $2.5 million.

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Tina Smith

Supporting Smith

"Country Forward" - Smith campaign ad, released October 23, 2020

"Common Ground" - Smith campaign ad, released September 23, 2020

"Plan" - Smith campaign ad, released September 23, 2020

"Working Together" - Smith campaign ad, released September 23, 2020

"First Day" - Smith campaign ad, released September 2, 2020

A sample ad from the candidate's Facebook page is embedded below. Click here to see the candidate's Facebook Video page.

Opposing Lewis

"Rigid" - Smith campaign ad, released September 23, 2020

Jason Lewis

Supporting Lewis

"EOQ 3 Fundraising Deadline" - Lewis campaign ad, released September 24, 2020

"President Trump Endorses Jason Lewis" - Lewis campaign ad, released August 11, 2020

"Mike Lindell Endorses Jason Lewis" - Lewis campaign ad, released July 1, 2020

"America First" - Lewis campaign ad, released April 6, 2020

"The Reckoning" - Lewis campaign ad, released December 9, 2019

"I'm Running for U S Senate!" - Lewis campaign ad, released December 9, 2019

Opposing Smith

"Dangerously Wrong" - Lewis campaign ad, released September 9, 2020

"Personally Profiting" - Lewis campaign ad, released August 11 2020

"Personally Profiting" - Lewis campaign ad, released August 11 2020

Debates and forums

October 2, 2020

MPR News hosted a debate. View a video of the debate here.

September 18, 2020

The Duluth News Tribune and the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a debate. View a video of the debate here.

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Tina Smith

Smith's campaign website stated the following:

“	The Minnesota Way Forward A few Americans are just born into opportunity. They’re handed all the tools, and all the connections, and all the capital it takes to build any kind of life they can imagine. And as Tina’s dad would say, good for them. But for the majority of Americans, opportunity isn’t something you’re given. It’s something you have to earn through hard work. And Tina is willing to do the work and work hard. Her belief is grounded in what she knows to be true about fellow Minnesotans: we get together to solve problems, to lift each other up, to find and stand on common ground. We’re creative, we’re practical, and we don’t just complain about what’s holding us back — we come up with solutions. Tina knows that the wealthy and powerful are no match for the people of this state when we join our voices together, fight for the value and dignity of our work, and each do our part to make a generation of progress a reality. And when hard work isn’t enough, she’s ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with Minnesotans to make sure opportunity is available. As long as Tina has the honor of serving as your Senator, she’s going to keep using her voice to speak up and fight for the American values that are under attack every day. A Strong and Diverse Economy With a diverse economy and economic opportunity, businesses can grow and workers can get better pay and better jobs. But now, as the country faces unprecedented times, Tina is working hard to make sure Minnesota’s workers and small businesses have access to the resources they need. Tina knows the importance of rebuilding American manufacturing, building an American medical supply chain, and finding common ground to rebuild the middle class. Learn more. Affordable High-Quality Health Care Every Minnesota family deserves high-quality health care they can afford. And now more than ever, as the country faces an unprecedented health crisis, Tina is committed to fighting for affordable health care, because nobody should have to choose between paying for health care and putting food on the table. Learn more. Quality Education for All Minnesotans Education is the engine of opportunity and it ought to be available to all of us, not just some of us. Tina understands that education drives opportunity and it should be affordable and accessible to everyone. Learn more. Action on Gun Violence We can address the epidemic of gun violence with common-sense reforms. Learn more. Supporting Minnesota’s Farmers and Rural Communities Agriculture is at the heart of Minnesota’s economy. Tina is focused on making sure Minnesota farmers have a strong voice in Congress. Learn more. Women’s Economic Health and Security Women still don’t have equal autonomy, opportunity, or pay as men do. As the only Senator to have worked for Planned Parenthood, Tina knows the importance of fighting for reproductive justice. Learn more. Protecting and Preserving Social Security Social Security is the bedrock of economic and retirement security of the American middle class. Tina believes we should expand Social Security and ensure that it remains solvent in the long term. Learn more. Supporting our Veterans One of our most solemn duties is to take care of the people who served in our armed forces. Tina is committed to making sure they receive and have access to the benefits they’ve earned. Learn more. Standing up for our LGBTQ+ Family Every American deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Tina believes we need to defend the progress that has been made for LGBTQ+ equality and fight the injustices that still exist for too many LGBTQ+ Americans. Learn more. Tribal Communities We must stand shoulder to shoulder with our Native communities and hear their needs and see their contributions. Learn more. Protecting our Environment We need to address climate change, protect our country’s national treasures, and fight back against efforts by this Administration to roll back responsible environmental policy. Learn more. Dreamers and Immigrants Minnesota’s communities are strong because of our immigrant neighbors and friends. We need to make sure our immigration system is one that is reflective of our country’s values and needs and one that prioritizes the dignity of the individuals seeking opportunity in the United States. Learn more. Taking on Special Interests and Campaign Finance Reform We need to end the influence of corporate special interests and dark money on politicians. Tina believes we will only be able to build an economy that works for everyone if we reform this broken system. Learn more. Strengthening Collective Bargaining Rights When workers are able to join together to fight for livable wages, a safe work environment, and quality benefits for their families, we all do better. That’s why Tina believes that collective bargaining is a fundamental right for workers, and makes for stronger communities and families. Learn more. Trade Trade plays a critical role in Minnesota’s economy. Tina supports fair trade, but knows trade can’t be a one-size fits all approach. Learn more. Supporting Arts and Culture Arts and culture are an important part of Minnesota’s identity, economy, and quality of life. That’s why Tina is committed to sustaining and advancing arts and cultural opportunities for all. Learn more. Justice for George Floyd and Transforming Policing Tina wants justice for George Floyd, and justice includes accountability for all the officers who were involved in his murder. Tina also says we need to face up to the disparities in opportunity that hurt Black, Brown and Indigenous people every day, and we need to use this moment to take action. Learn more.	”
—Tina Smith's campaign website (2020)

Jason Lewis

Lewis' campaign website stated the following:

“	In Congress, Jason was honored to help pass historic tax cuts and regulatory reform to improve the nation’s economy and spur jobs and wages. While serving on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, he focused on robust infrastructure development while working to reform the Met Council to ensure they have locally elected members on their boards just like other planning agencies. Congressman Lewis was integral in getting landmark Career and Technical Education (CTE) legislation passed with his amendment supporting dual-enrollment opportunities for students to get a jump start on their careers. On the Budget Committee, he prioritized tax and spending cuts with a return to fiscal responsibility by supporting budget resolutions that included across the board spending reductions and balanced within 10 years. And Jason quickly became a leading Republican voice calling for criminal justice reform and authored the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018 which passed Congress and was signed into law by President Trump. His was a record of accomplishment, but there’s much more to Jason than all of that. His grandfather—with just an 8th grade education—started a successful enterprise lasting 50 years in the industrial and automotive aftermarket. Lewis Motor Supply, Inc. became a family tradition when Jason’s father took over the business and a third generation business when Jason took the helm along with his two sisters. Unfortunately, the government had other ideas. In the mid-80s, the family warehouse was targeted for a highway project under the power of eminent domain. After negotiations with government agencies failed to produce a price the family thought adequate for rebuilding, Jason faced the difficult decision of closing a profitable business and eliminating a substantial number of jobs. Lesson learned. You see, Jason has spent a lifetime in the private sector whether his family business or a 25 year broadcasting career. It is this experience that taught him the importance of living within your means; how government often gets in the way of progress; and why a productive job is the most important social program of all.	”
—Jason Lewis' campaign website (2020)

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Minnesota, 2020
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 3, 2020	October 27, 2020	October 20, 2020	October 13, 2020
The Cook Political Report	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Minnesota in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Minnesota, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2020
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Minnesota	U.S. Senate	Major party	N/A	N/A	$400.00	Fixed number	6/2/2020	Source
Minnesota	U.S. Senate	Unaffiliated	2,000	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	6/2/2020	Source

Election history

2018

See also: United States Senate special election in Minnesota, 2018

General election

Special general election for U.S. Senate Minnesota

Incumbent Tina Smith defeated Karin Housley, Sarah Wellington, and Jerry Trooien in the special general election for U.S. Senate Minnesota on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tina Smith (D)	53.0	1,370,540
		Karin Housley (R)	42.4	1,095,777
	Submit photo	Sarah Wellington (Legal Marijuana Now Party)	3.7	95,614
	Submit photo	Jerry Trooien (Unaffiliated)	0.9	24,324
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	1,101

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,587,356 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota

The following candidates ran in the special Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tina Smith	76.1	433,705
		Richard Painter	13.7	78,193
		Ali Chehem Ali	3.3	18,897
	Submit photo	Gregg Iverson	3.1	17,825
		Nick Leonard	2.9	16,529
		Christopher Seymore	0.9	5,041

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 570,190
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota

Karin Housley defeated Bob Anderson and Nikolay Nikolayevich Bey in the special Republican primary for U.S. Senate Minnesota on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karin Housley	62.0	186,384
		Bob Anderson	35.6	107,102
	Submit photo	Nikolay Nikolayevich Bey	2.5	7,375

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 300,861
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

U.S. Senate, Minnesota General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Al Franken Incumbent	53.2%	1,053,205
	Republican	Mike McFadden	42.9%	850,227
	Libertarian	Heather Johnson	1.5%	29,685
	Independence	Steve Carlson	2.4%	47,530
	N/A	Write-in	0%	881
Total Votes				1,981,528
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

2012

U.S. Senate, Minnesota General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Amy Klobuchar Incumbent	65.2%	1,854,595
	Republican	Kurt Bills	30.5%	867,974
	Independence	Stephen Williams	2.6%	73,539
	Grassroots	Tim Davis	1.1%	30,531
	Progressive	Michael Cavlan	0.5%	13,986
Total Votes				2,843,207
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State, "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" (dead link)

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2020
• United States Senate elections, 2020

Footnotes

[show]

Minnesota's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Amy Klobuchar (D)

Tina Smith (D)

Representatives

District 1

Brad Finstad (R)

District 2

Angie Craig (D)

District 3

Kelly Morrison (D)

District 4

Betty McCollum (D)

District 5

Ilhan Omar (D)

District 6

Tom Emmer (R)

District 7

Michelle Fischbach (R)

District 8

Pete Stauber (R)

Democratic Party (6)

Republican Party (4)