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The 2010 Minnesota U.S. House of Representatives elections took place on November 2, 2010. All eight (8) congressional seats that make up the state's delegation were contested. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 112th United States Congress from January 3, 2011 until January 3, 2013.
The 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial, 2010 Minnesota House elections and 2010 Minnesota Senate elections occurred on the same date, as well as many local elections and ballot initiatives.
The 111th congressional delegation from the U.S. state of Minnesota had five (5) Democratic Farmer Labor Party members (DFLers) and 3 Republicans. All the incumbents ran successfully for re-election, except District 8's Jim Oberstar, who was defeated in his bid for a 19th term.
Contents |
| District | Incumbent | 2010 Status | DFL | Republican | Independence | Constitution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tim Walz | Re-elected | Tim Walz | Randy Demmer | Lars Johnson | |
| 2 | John Kline | Re-elected | Shelley Madore | John Kline | ||
| 3 | Erik Paulsen | Re-elected | Jim Meffert | Erik Paulsen | David Dillon | Harley Swarm |
| 4 | Betty McCollum | Re-elected | Betty McCollum | Teresa Collett | ||
| 5 | Keith Ellison | Re-elected | Keith Ellison | Joel Demos | Bill McGaughey | |
| 6 | Michele Bachmann | Re-elected | Tarryl Clark | Michele Bachmann | ||
| 7 | Collin Peterson | Re-elected | Collin Peterson | Lee Byburg | ||
| 8 | Jim Oberstar | Defeated | Jim Oberstar | Chip Cravaack |
Democrat Tim Walz ran for re-election, challenged by Republican nominee Randy Demmer, Independence Party candidate Steven Wilson (campaign site), and Party Free candidate Lars Johnson (campaign site). Walz won the general election on November 2, 2010, with 49% of the vote to Demmer's 44%.
CQ Politics rates the seat as 'Leans Democratic'.
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Tim Walz (D) | Randy Demmer (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey USA | October 22-26, 2010 | 50% | 41% |
| Grove Insight | October 18-19, 2010 | 50% | 34% |
| Survey USA | October 12-14, 2010 | 47% | 42% |
Republican John Kline is running for re-election, and CQ Politics rates the seat as 'Safe'.
Kline won the general election on November 2, 2010, 63%-37%.
Republican Erik Paulsen is running for re-election, and CQ Politics rates the seat as 'Safe Republican'.
Paulsen won the general election on November 2, 2010, 59%-37%.
Democrat Betty McCollum is running for re-election, and CQ Politics rates the seat as 'Safe'.
McCollum won the general election on November 2, 2010, 59%-35%.
Democrat Keith Ellison ran for re-election, and CQ Politics rates the seat as 'Safe'. Ellison is the first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress.
Ellison won the general election on November 2, 2010, 68%-24%.
Democrat Tarryl Clark, the state Senate assistant majority leader, received the endorsement of the DFL Party and was the sole Democratic challenger to Bachmann's seat, Maureen Reed having dropped out of the race in June 2010. Reed, a former University of Minnesota regent chair and a physician, threw her support behind Clark saying she felt "it is time for the DFL to unify behind one candidate in this race".[1][2] Independence Party candidate Bob Anderson and independent Aubrey Immelman also ran.
Michele Bachmann won the general election on November 2, 2010 by a margin of 52% to 38%.[3]
Bachmann vs. Clark
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Michele Bachmann (R) | Tarryl Clark (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey USA | September 15, 2010 | 49% | 40% |
| Survey USA ([1]) | July 9-11, 2010 | 48% | 39% |
| Public Policy Polling (Link) | December 17-20, 2009 | 55% | 37% |
Bachmann vs. Reed
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Michele Bachmann (R) | Maureen Reed (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (Link) | December 17-20, 2009 | 53% | 37% |
Democrat Collin Peterson ran for re-election, and CQ Politics rates the seat as 'Safe'.
Peterson won the general election on November 2, 2010, 55%-38%.
Oberstar lost his bid for a 19th term on November 2, 2010 to Republican Chip Cravaack.[4] Cravaack won 48% of the vote to Oberstar's 47%. CQ Politics had rated the seat as 'Likely Democratic'.
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Jim Oberstar (D) | Chip Cravaack (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | October 25-28, 2010 | 47% | 46% |
| Public Opinion Strategies | September 28-30, 2010 | 45% | 42% |
| 2010 Eighth Congressional District of Minnesota Elections | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Chip Cravaack | 133,474 | 48.2 | +16 | |
| Democratic | James Oberstar | 129,067 | 46.6 | -21 | |
| Independence | Timothy Olson | 11,876 | 4.3 | - | |