Early voting in Minnesota’s state primary election has been underway for weeks. However, the state primary election itself is on Tuesday, Aug. 11. On that day, Minnesota voters will pick the Republicans and Democrats who will advance to the November general election.
Minnesota has an open primary system. This means voters are not registered to specific political parties and can vote in either the Republican primary or the DFL primary. However, voters are only allowed to vote in one party’s primary contests.
For example, an individual cannot vote in the Republican primary for governor and the DFL primary for U.S. Senate. Instead, a voter must select a political party and only vote in that party’s primary contests.
Minnesota primary ballots also include nonpartisan primaries. Registered voters can vote in those contests regardless of whether they voted in the DFL or GOP primaries.
Voters can look up what is on their ballot at the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. Additionally, the secretary of state’s office has information on registering to vote, updating your voter registration, and finding your polling place.
For months, candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, the Minnesota Legislature, and many local offices have been pitching themselves to voters. The results of Tuesday’s primaries will shape the fall general election — and the state for years to come.
Here are some of the key primaries to watch on Tuesday:
Minnesota governor
The race for the Republican nomination for governor features Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, and former business executive Kendall Qualls. Lindell has led in recent polling, and Qualls is endorsed by the Minnesota GOP.
The winner of that primary will likely face DFL U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the November general election. Klobuchar faces token opposition in the DFL primary for governor.
U.S. Senate
Former sportscaster Michele Tafoya, retired Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze, former NBA player Royce White, and Navy veteran Tom Weiler are seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Minnesota. Tafoya has a commanding lead in recent polling, but Schwarze is the Republican-endorsed candidate.
On the DFL side, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Congresswoman Angie Craig are competing for their party’s nomination for U.S. Senate. Flanagan has been endorsed by the state DFL Party, and polling has showed a close race between the pair.
Minnesota’s Second Congressional District
The race for the DFL nomination for Minnesota’s Second Congressional District features state Rep. Kaela Berg, state Sen. Matt Klein, and former state Sen. Matt Little. Whichever DFLer emerges as the victor will face GOP state Sen. Eric Pratt in the general election.
Minnesota Legislature
- Senate District 5: GOP state Sen. Paul Utke vs. GOP state Rep. Mike Wiener
- Senate District 10: GOP state Sen. Nathan Wesenberg vs. Republican Deb Holthaus
- Senate District 38: DFL state Sen. Susan Pha vs. DFLer Nehemiah Garley
- Senate District 46: DFL state Sen. Ron Latz vs. DFLer Lynette Lungay Dumalag
- House District 38A: DFL state Rep. Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley vs. DFLer Wynfred Russell
Hennepin County attorney
The nonpartisan primary for Hennepin County attorney includes Cedrick Frazier, Anders Folk, Hao Nguyen, Matt Pelikan, and Diane Krenz. Frazier has been endorsed by the DFL. The top two vote-getters in this primary will advance to the 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.
