Five Minnesota congressional election takeaways

With just one newly elected member to the Minnesota congressional delegation, the results of the Nov. 5 election were more or less status quo for the state’s federal delegation.

But there were some interesting developments nonetheless. Here are five takeaways from the night:

Swing district Democrat Rep. Angie Craig pulled off the first double-digit victory of her congressional career on Tuesday.

Unofficial returns show Craig won her fourth term by beating Republican Joe Teirab by more than 13 points. She also outperformed Vice President Kamala Harris, who won the Second Congressional District with more than 51% of the vote compared to Craig, who won with more than 55% of the vote.

Craig’s big win was impressive for a presidential election year. During the 2020 presidential race, she beat Republican Tyler Kistner by just over 2 points, and by over 5 points during the 2022 midterm elections.

The moderate Democrat ran heavily on protecting abortion access, which she predicted in an interview before the election would be “even a stronger motivator this cycle than it was last.” Her victory against a Republican candidate who sits on the board of what Craig described as a crisis pregnancy center proved that abortion remains a potent issue in her district.

Exit polling from the Institute for Freedom and Community (IFC) at St. Olaf College, which surveyed 665 voters, also found evidence of split ticket voting in the Second District. Some 9.3% of Trump voters backed Craig, compared to 7.8% of Harris voters who backed Teirab, according to the results.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer spent election night with Trump in Florida, zooming in to the Minnesota Republican Party watch party to cheer on GOP candidates in the state.

Emmer’s invitation to Mar-a-Lago further cements his relationship with Trump, coming full circle since the former president and his allies played a role in sinking Emmer’s chances at becoming House speaker.

With House leadership elections right around the corner, Emmer’s proximity to Trump — coupled with his help to House Republicans this cycle via his joint fundraising committees and stumping with them across the country in hopes of holding the party’s majority — is sure to set him up for success in the upcoming elections if he wants to get re-elected to his current post or vie again for the speakership.

Though Emmer was instrumental in helping Republican House candidates win across the country Tuesday, back home in Minnesota, he had less success in getting candidates in the highest profile races he championed over the finish line.

Teirab, Emmer’s candidate in the state’s most competitive House race, lost to Craig despite his support.

And though it was a near-impossible task to begin with (since Republicans have not pulled off a presidential win in Minnesota in more than five decades), Emmer wasn’t able to secure a victory for Trump after he was enlisted as his state campaign chair.

Harris defeated Trump Tuesday night by more than four points in Minnesota. However, that margin in the state was closer than it was when he lost to Biden in 2020 by more than seven points.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar pulled off her fourth six-year term against Republican Royce White.

The state’s senior senator beat the former NBA player by more than 15 points — and outperformed the Harris-Walz ticket in the state by five points — but it was the smallest margin she’s received in her Senate campaigns.

She beat GOP Jim Newberger by more than 24 points during her last run in 2018, Republican Kurt Bills by more than 34 points in 2012 and Republican Mark Kennedy by more than 20 points during her first run in 2006.

White was also able to flip 29 rural counties that Klobuchar carried in 2018.

Trump and Vance prevailed in Walz’s former U.S. House district, which the governor held for six terms in Congress until he departed the seat in 2019. The Republican ticket beat Harris-Walz by more than 11 points in the First Congressional District.

Trump’s victory in the First District may not come as a surprise since Walz’s former House district swung to Republicans since he left Congress and it was later redistricted.

Rep. Dean Phillips was the first Democrat since the 1960s to hold what had long been a Republican seat after he flipped the Third Congressional District during the 2018 blue wave, ousting five-term GOP incumbent Erik Paulsen.

Phillips held on to the seat following his 2018 victory, but his decision not to seek re-election following his unsuccessful presidential run created an open race. Former state Sen. Kelly Morrison was Phillips’ endorsed candidate, but running in a presidential election year still presented uncertainties for Democrats.

But Morrison’s 17-point victory over Republican Tad Jude further indicates the district has swung blue since Phillips flipped it six year ago.