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The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the eight U.S. Representatives from the state of Minnesota. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate. Primary elections were held on August 14, 2012.
Contents
Redistricting
A redistricting plan was proposed by Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature on May 9, 2011. The plan was passed by the Minnesota House of Representatives on May 13 and the Minnesota Senate on May 18, but was vetoed by Democratic Governor Mark Dayton on May 19.
In February 2012, a state court panel redrew Minnesota's congressional boundaries with the effect of enacting a "least-change" map.
District 1
Democrat Tim Walz, who has represented Minnesota's 1st congressional district since 2007, sought re-election. In redistricting, Murray County, Pipestone County and half of Cottonwood County were moved from the 1st district to the 7th and Wabasha County was moved from the 1st district to the 2nd; while Le Sueur County and most of Rice County were moved from the 2nd district to the 1st. The 1st district was expected to continue to slightly favor Republicans.
State senator Mike Parry lost the GOP nomination to state representative Allen Quist. State senator Julie Rosen did not seek the Republican nomination. Former state representative Randy Demmer, who unsuccessfully challenged Walz as the Republican nominee in 2010, and state representative Steve Drazkowski did not run.
Walz handily dispatched Quist in the election, garnering 58% of the vote.
General Election Results
District 2
Republican John Kline, who has represented Minnesota's 2nd congressional district since 2003, sought re-election.
Patrick Ganey, a member of the Northfield City Council; Kathleen Gaylord, a member of the Dakota County Commission; former state Representative Mike Obermueller; and Dan Powers, a former small business owner who unsuccessfully sought the DFL nomination in the 2nd district in 2010, sought the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination to challenge Kline. At the congressional district convention, the party endorsed Mike Obermueller.
In redistricting, Le Sueur County and Rice County were moved from the 2nd district to the 1st and Carver County was moved from the 2nd district to the 3rd and 6th; while West St. Paul and parts of South St. Paul were moved from the 4th district to the 2nd. The 2nd district was made slightly more favorable to Democrats, but continues to favor Republicans. Despite a strong challenge from Obermueller, Kline prevailed.
General Election Results
District 3
Republican Erik Paulsen, who has represented Minnesota's 3rd congressional district since 2009 sought re-election.
Brian Barnes, an Edina businessman and former Navy Reserve officer and Sharon Sund, a Plymouth scientist and small-business owner sought the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination to challenge Paulsen. In the third district Democratic convention, Barnes won the party endorsement and Sund backed his candidacy. Sund was subsequently elected Chair of the Hennepin County Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
In redistricting, the 3rd district was expanded to include eastern Carver County, while part of the northeastern Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro area was moved to the 5th. The district was made more favorable to Republicans.
Paulsen received 58% of the vote, defeating Barnes who received 42%.
General Election Results
District 4
Democrat Betty McCollum, who has represented Minnesota's 4th congressional district since 2001, sought re-election. In redistricting, the 4th district was made slightly more favorable to Republicans, but continues to strongly favor Democrats.
Dan Flood, a retired Navy officer, and Tony Hernandez, a businessman who had been running for the U.S. Senate, sought the Republican nomination to challenge McCollum. Hernandez won the Republican primary and will face McCollum on the November ballot. The home of Republican U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann, who has represented Minnesota's 6th congressional district since 2007, was drawn into the 4th district in redistricting; however Bachmann sought re-election in the 6th district.
McCollum retained her seat, defeating Hernandez.
General Election Results
District 5
Minnesota's 5th congressional district has been represented by Democrat Keith Ellison since 2007. Gary Boisclair, an anti-abortion activist, and Gregg Iverson unsuccessfully challenged Ellison in the Democratic primary. In redistricting, the 5th district was expanded to include parts of Brooklyn Center, Edina and Minnetonka, and continues to strongly favor Democrats.
Chris Fields, a retired U.S. Marine, ran unopposed in the district's Republican primary and faced Ellison on the ballot in November.
Ellison easily defeated Fields, carrying about 75% of the vote.
General Election Results
District 6
Michele Bachmann, who has represented Minnesota's 6th congressional district since 2007 and unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, sought re-election. Ron Seiford, an adjunct business instructor at Woodbury's Globe College, and Aubrey Immelman unsuccessfully challenged her in the Republican nomination, though Bachmann won by the lowest margin of any incumbent Republican congressional candidate in 50 years.
Jim Graves, a hotel executive, won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination at the party's convention in April 2012. He defeated Brian McGoldrick, a businessman; Anne Nolan, an attorney and business consultant, and Mike Starr, a substitute schoolteacher.
In redistricting, the 6th district was expanded to include Carver County and was made more favorable to Republicans. Despite this, Bachmann narrowly retained the seat, receiving 4298 more votes than Graves.
General Election Results
District 7
Democrat Collin Peterson, who has represented Minnesota's 7th congressional district since 1991, sought re-election. In redistricting, the 7th district was expanded to include rural counties in southern Minnesota, while cities were moved from the 6th and 8th districts into the 7th.
Lee Byberg, a business executive who unsuccessfully challenged Peterson as the Republican nominee in 2010; and state senator Gretchen Hoffman, sought the Republican nomination to challenge Peterson.
Byberg again received the DFL party's nomination and was defeated by Peterson.
General Election Results
District 8
Republican Chip Cravaack, who was first elected to represent Minnesota's 8th congressional district in 2010, sought re-election.
Former U.S. Representative Rick Nolan won the DFL primary on August 14, defeating Jeff Anderson, a member of the Duluth City Council, and Tarryl Clark, a member of the Minnesota Senate who unsuccessfully ran against Michele Bachmann in the 6th district in 2010. Daniel Fanning, the former deputy state director for Senator Al Franken, had decided to run, but ended his campaign in January 2012. State senate minority leader Tom Bakk, Duluth mayor Don Ness, state senator Roger Reinert, state representative Tom Rukavina, former state house majority leader Tony Sertich, and lieutenant governor Yvonne Prettner Solon, all of whom are Democrats, did not run. State representative Carly Melin had said she was "keeping an open mind" regarding the possibility of seeking the Democratic nomination; however, she later endorsed Anderson's campaign.
Nolan was earlier victorious in a February 2012 caucus, receiving 1,537 votes to Anderson's 1,008 and Clark's 408. 269 uncommitted votes were cast. Delegates to a convention held in May 2012 could endorse one candidate, but candidates who did not receive the party's endorsement were nonetheless able to run in the August 2012 primary. Nolan won the DFL primary in August, with 38.3% of the vote, against Clark's 32.3% and Anderson's 29.5%
In redistricting, the 8th district was not significantly changed and remained competitive. Nolan triumphed over Cravaack, receiving about 55% of the vote.