2020 United States Senate election in Minnesota

The 2020 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Minnesota, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the U.S. Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and other state and local elections. Some Republican pundits and strategists believed Minnesota to be a potential pickup opportunity due to its increasingly favorable demographics and unexpectedly close result in the 2016 presidential election, along with potential backlash from the 2020 George Floyd protests, originating after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. However, every poll showed incumbent Democratic Senator Tina Smith in the lead by varying degrees.

Smith was reelected to a full term in office by a margin of 5.2 points, making this the closest Senate election in Minnesota since 2008. The primary took place on August 11.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Tina Smith, incumbent U.S. senator

Eliminated in primary

• Steve Carlson, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018 and write-in candidate for president in 2016
• Ahmad Hassan
• Paula Overby, Green Party nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018
• Christopher Seymore, Sr.

Withdrawn

• W.D. "Bill" Hamm
• Alexandra Marie Holker

Endorsements

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Jason Lewis, former U.S. representative for Minnesota's 2nd congressional district

Eliminated in primary

• John L. Berman
• Bob Carney Jr.
• Cynthia Gail, art teacher
• James Reibestein

Withdrawn

• Rob Barrett Jr., assistant professor at North Central University
• Christopher Chamberlin, candidate for governor, U.S. senator, and U.S. representative in 2018 and Libertarian activist
• Forest Hyatt, Republican candidate for the 2018 United States Senate special election in Minnesota
• Theron Preston Washington

Declined

• Donna Bergstrom, nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota in 2018
• Kurt Daudt, minority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives
• Bill Guidera, attorney and former 21st Century Fox executive
• Karin Housley, state senator and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018
• Mike Lindell, CEO of My Pillow
• Doug Wardlow, former state representative and Republican nominee for Attorney General of Minnesota in 2018

Endorsements

Results

Other candidates

Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis

Nominee

• Oliver Steinberg

Results

Legal Marijuana Now

Nominee

• Kevin O'Connor

Primary results

Independent write-in candidate

Declared

• George Dennis Jr.
• Josh D. Ondich, perennial candidate

General election

Debate

Two general election debates were held. The first, on October 2, 2020, was hosted by Minnesota Public Radio and was attended by Smith and Lewis. The second debate was hosted by Twin Cities PBS on October 23, 2020, and attended only by Lewis.

Predictions

Endorsements

Polling

Results

By congressional district

Smith and Lewis each won 4 congressional districts.

See also

• 2020 Minnesota elections

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links

• Elections & Voting - Minnesota Secretary of State
• Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Minnesota", Voting & Elections Toolkits
• "Minnesota: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
• "League of Women Voters of Minnesota". (state affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
• Minnesota at Ballotpedia

Official campaign websites

• Jason Lewis (R) for Senate
• Tina Smith (DFL) for Senate

1. 2024 United States Senate election in Minnesota
2. 2020 United States Senate elections
3. 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia
4. 2014 United States Senate election in Minnesota
5. 2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota
6. 2018 United States Senate election in Minnesota
7. 2012 United States Senate election in Minnesota
8. 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota
9. 2006 United States Senate election in Minnesota
10. 2020 United States presidential election in Minnesota
11. 2024 United States Senate elections
12. 2020 Minnesota Senate election
13. 2020 United States Senate election in Maine
14. 2020 United States Senate election in Mississippi
15. 1994 United States Senate election in Minnesota
16. 2020 United States Senate special election in Arizona
17. 2020 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
18. 2020 United States Senate election in Louisiana
19. 1988 United States Senate election in Minnesota
20. 2018 United States Senate special election in Minnesota