Minnesota voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in the primary election.
Republican voters will choose a standard bearer to top their ticket in the U.S. Senate race. Republican voters in the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic voters in the 5th and voters across a smattering of state House districts will also make big decisions Tuesday.
Navy veteran Joe Fraser is challenging Republican-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Royce White to run against U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.
Despite dropping out of the race weeks ago, Tayler Rahm, who was endorsed by party regulars at their convention this year, is still potentially competitive in the 2nd Congressional District GOP primary against Joe Teirab, who was recently endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing another primary challenge from former Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels.
Democratic and Republican voters also have a handful of competitive primary races for the Minnesota Legislature.
Your primary questions, answered:
How do I vote?
Here’s where to find your polling place. Use the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website to find where to vote and learn which candidates are on your ballot. Register to vote or update your registration online here. You can also register in person at your polling place on Election Day with identification.
Most polling places in Minnesota are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you’re in line by 8 p.m., you can cast your ballot. Minnesota doesn’t have political party registration, so when you vote you will decide which of the parties you will vote for.
Find more information about the election, registering to vote, what kind of identification is needed, and what candidates are on your ballot here.
Primary races to watch:
Samuels lost to Omar in the 5th Congressional District in 2022 by just 2 percentage points, but this year Omar has campaigned energetically — a complete 180 from her strategy two years ago when she largely ignored his campaign.
GOP-endorsed candidate Royce White is facing a primary challenge for the U.S. Senate seat from Navy veteran Joe Fraser.
In the GOP Senate contest, voters will have to consider White’s long history of scandal: He has pled guilty to theft and disorderly conduct, fallen behind on child support, and allegedly violated campaign finance laws by illegally spending thousands in donations, among other scandals. Fraser faces a significant funding disadvantage compared to White, however.
The winner will face a heavily favored Klobuchar in November.
In the 2nd Congressional District, the GOP primary race will still be closely watched even though one of the candidates officially dropped out of the race. Tayler Rahm left the race last month to serve as an advisor for President Donald Trump’s Minnesota campaign. Former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab is also running in the primary.
Rahm’s name will still appear on the primary ballot, however, and some local Republicans are encouraging people to vote for him. The winner will face Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in November.
There are also a number of contested primary elections for the Minnesota Legislature, including a contested DFL primary for a seat in Winona, a DFL seat in Minneapolis and a number of Republican primary elections with right-wing candidates challenging more traditional Republicans.
A closely watched special state Senate election in November will determine control of the currently deadlocked 33-33 upper chamber. Democratic voters in the west metro district will choose among two candidates: Former state Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart and Emily Reitan, a board member for the Children’s Hospital of Minnesota Foundation. The winner will take on Republican Kathleen Fowke in November.
How many people have voted so far?
The Legislature has made it much easier to vote early in the past decade, and many Minnesotans are taking advantage of the new convenience. About 104,000 absentee ballots have been accepted as of Monday. Minnesota currently has about 3.6 million registered voters. In 2020, the primary turnout was about 916,000.