Who is facing off in Minnesota’s most competitive midterm election races?

The midterm election is less than three months away. Learn about what candidates were chosen in the primary election.

August 12, 2026

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, her husband Tom and her daughter Siobhan celebrating her winning the Democratic party nomination for US Senate at First Avenue. (Photo by Ashley Walker/Courier Minnesota)

The Minnesota 2026 primary election garnered quick results Tuesday night in key races across the state, with a historic voter turnout of over 1 million votes. With the midterm elections on Nov. 3 just 83 days away, here’s the candidates Minnesotans get to choose from in the state’s most competitive races.

Governor

Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL)-endorsed candidate US Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was one of the first races called. She had the overwhelming majority of votes compared to her competitor Kobey Layne, who got less than 6% of the vote. Klobuchar got nearly 90% of the votes.

While Klobuchar was the predicted winner, the GOP candidate’s race was a toss-up from day one. Out of the three candidates, state Rep. Lisa Demuth won the battle with over 43% of the vote. Trump-endorsed Mike Lindell took second place with 32% of the vote, and immediately claimed that there were “voting irregularities.” The die-hard Trump supporter and election denier has yet to concede. Minnesota GOP-endorsed Kendall Qualls took third place with just over 21% of the vote.

US Senate

Michele Tafoya, former sports broadcaster, was called the winner early with 52% of the vote. She easily beat out former NBA player Royce White, who only received 11% of the vote, placing third. Surprisingly, the state GOP-endorsed candidate, who has not shown up to most congressional debates like Tafoya and White, took second place. But, he still lost big to Tafoya, only raking in 24% of the vote.

The DFL candidate for US Senate was the most watched race, as it was a head-to-head battle between US Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. Being one of the last races called, DFL-endorsed Flanagan beat Craig by 20 points, getting 59% of the votes. Her supporters rallied at First Avenue in Minneapolis, cheering loudly after finding out the results. In Craig’s concession speech, she asked Minnesotans to stand behind Flanagan, noting she has given Flanagan a call to say she’s behind her 100%.

A special note: If Klobuchar wins the governor’s seat, she’ll also be responsible for appointing someone to temporarily fill her US Senate seat while waiting for a special election. Klobuchar could appoint anyone of her choosing to the seat. This means it’s possible Craig could be appointed if Flanagan wins, or Flanagan or Craig could be appointed if Flanagan loses to Tafoya.

Congressional District 1

Jake Johnson, the DFL-endorsed candidate for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, won the race late Tuesday night with over 81% of the vote. He beat out competitor Alex Eaton.

Johnson will face incumbent US Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), who has held the seat since 2022. Finstad easily beat his two opponents, getting just over 90% of the vote.

Congressional District 2

The race for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District was crowded from the jump. GOP-endorsed candidate Eric Pratt was uncontested, but the DFL lineup included six candidates, four of which were seen at different congressional events facing off.

DFL-endorsed candidate, former state Senator, and former Lakeville mayor Matt Little was the candidate to come out on top with 47% of the vote. State Sen. and doctor Matt Klein took second with 30%, state Rep. Kaela Berg took third with just 16% of the vote, and Abdi Adulle received only 2.6% of the vote.