Republicans and Democrats from across Minnesota will gather in small, separate groups on Feb. 3 to begin the process of organizing for the upcoming political year. The occasion is known as precinct caucus night.
Whenever there is a state general election in Minnesota, political parties convene what are called precinct caucuses in the early part of the year. These local gatherings of Republicans and Democrats are held at designated locations throughout the state.
Republicans meet at locations chosen by the Minnesota GOP, and DFLers meet at separate places chosen by the state DFL. The meetings, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m., are run by the political parties themselves.
At those meetings, Minnesotans elect party delegates and draft party platforms. Those delegates will participate in local endorsing conventions later in the year. This year, caucus-goers will be able to participate in a straw poll to indicate who they support for governor.
The Minnesota Secretary of State has more information about caucus night. However, any questions about specific caucus meetings should be directed to the state parties. Caucus details for the GOP are available here; similar details for the DFL are available here.
“Going to a caucus is a great way to show support for a candidate, raise an issue that’s important to you, influence who the party will endorse for many offices, and meet people in your community,” notes the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.
In 2023, Democrats repealed a state law which said that only eligible voters could vote or be elected as a delegate at a caucus meeting.
In the weeks and months after caucus night, the political parties will host local conventions to endorse state legislative candidates and congressional candidates. However, the process starts with caucus night and culminates with each party’s state political convention later in the year.
At those conventions, Republicans and Democrats will endorse candidates for governor, attorney general, U.S. Senate, and other statewide offices.
The DFL state convention will be held in Rochester beginning on May 29 and concluding on May 31. The Minnesota Republican Party’s state convention will be held in Duluth, starting on May 29 and concluding on May 31.
Party endorsements, while impactful, do not decide who the party’s nominee will be for a given office. Ultimately, the Aug. 11 state primary election will decide which candidates receive their party’s nomination and advance to the Fall general election.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
