2020 Minnesota elections


A general election will be held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 3, 2020. All seats in the Minnesota Senate and Minnesota House of Representatives are up for election as well as several judicial seats, Minnesota's 10 presidential electors, a United States Senate seat, Minnesota's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives, and several positions for local offices. A primary election to nominate major party candidates and several judicial and local primary elections will be held on August 11, 2020.

Electoral system

Elections for state and federal offices will be held via first-past-the-post voting, each producing a single winner. Nominations for parties with major party status—the DFL, Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis, Legal Marijuana Now, and Republican parties—will be determined by an open primary election. The candidate that wins the most votes in each party will become their party's nominee in the general election. If only a single candidate seeks the nomination for each party, that candidate is automatically nominated and a primary election for that office will not be held. Candidates for major parties have automatic ballot access. Candidates for minor parties were nominated by petition.
Judicial and local elections will be held via the nonpartisan blanket primary. The top-two candidates that win the most votes in the primary election will advance to the general election. If not more than two candidates seek election to the same office, a primary election will not be held. In multiple-winner elections, the top number of candidates that win the most votes in the primary election that are twice the number of candidates to be elected will advance to the general election. If not more than twice the number of candidates to be elected seek election, a primary election will not be held. Several cities, school districts, and all townships and hospital districts do not hold a primary election, instead all candidates will appear at the general election. Judicial and local elections are nonpartisan.
The candidate filing period was from May 19 to June 2, 2020. The filing period for cities, townships, school districts, and hospital districts that do not hold a primary election is from July 28 to August 11, 2020.

State elections

Legislative elections

Minnesota Senate

All 67 seats in the Minnesota Senate are up for election. The Republicans hold a majority of 35 seats and the DFL hold 32 seats. The Republicans have held a majority in the Senate since the 2016 election.

Minnesota House of Representatives

All 134 seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives are up for election. The DFL hold a majority of 75 seats and the Republicans hold 59 seats. The DFL have held a majority in the House since the 2018 election.

Judicial elections

One seat on the Minnesota Supreme Court is up for election. Justice Paul Thissen is up for his first election following his appointment in 2018 by Governor Mark Dayton. Four seats on the Minnesota Court of Appeals and several seats on the Minnesota District Courts are also up for election.

Federal elections

President

Minnesota's 10 electors in the Electoral College are up for election, who will subsequently cast votes for president and vice president on December 14, 2020.
Minnesota has voted for the Democratic nominee in every presidential election since 1976, the longest streak of any U.S. state as of the 2016 election. The Democratic nominee in 2016, Hillary Clinton, won Minnesota by less than two percentage points over Republican nominee Donald Trump.

United States Senate

Minnesota's class 2 United States Senate seat is up for election. Incumbent DFL Senator Tina Smith is seeking re-election.
The DFL has held Minnesota's class 2 U.S. Senate seat since 2009 when Al Franken defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman after a protracted recount following the 2008 election. Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith was appointed in January 2018 by Governor Mark Dayton to replace Franken after he resigned following sexual harassment allegations. Smith won her first election in the 2018 special election.
In addition to Smith, other candidates seeking the DFL nomination include Steve Carlson, Ahmad Hassan, Paula Overby, and Christopher Seymore. Candidates seeking the Republican nomination include John Berman, Bob Carney, Cynthia Gail, Jason Lewis, and James Reibestein. Other candidates include Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party candidate Oliver Steinberg and Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate Kevin O'Connor.

United States House of Representatives

Minnesota's eight seats in the United States House of Representatives are up for election. The DFL hold five seats and the Republicans hold three seats.

Local elections

Elections for several subdivisions will be held—including elections for counties, municipalities, school districts, and hospital districts.

Counties

All 87 counties will hold regular elections. 37 counties will hold primary elections.
List of counties holding primary elections

Municipalities

32 cities will hold primary elections. Bemidji, Maplewood, and Minneapolis will each have one or more special elections on the day of the primary election. Jeffers will have a ballot question on the day of the primary election.
List of cities holding primary elections


  • 1One or more special elections will be held on the day of the primary election.
  • 2Will have a ballot question on the day of the primary election.
  • 3Does not have a regularly scheduled primary election.

School districts

and Red Lake will each hold a primary election. Ely, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop, and McGregor will each have one or more ballot questions on the day of the primary election.
List of school districts holding primary elections


  • 1Does not have a regularly scheduled primary election.
  • 2Will have one or more ballot questions on the day of the primary election.