Results are in for Minnesota's 2024 primary election
MINNEAPOLIS — Tens of thousands of Minnesotans made their voices heard in the state primary on Tuesday night, and now candidates who came out on top will shift their campaign focus.
In the 5th Congressional District, Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar prevailed in her rematch against former Minneapolis City Councilmember Don Samuels.
Omar, who has held her seat since 2019, narrowly won in 2022, beating Samuels by around 2,500 votes. This election was a different story, with Omar receiving nearly 17,000 more votes.
And on the other side of the aisle, we're learning who will run against three-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the fall. It was between ex-NBA player Royce White and mainstream republican Joe Fraser. White won 38% of the votes while Fraser earned 29%.
Other Minnesota primary results
- CD 1: Incumbent Republican Rep. Brad Finstad will face Democrat Rachel Bohman
- CD 2: Republican Joe Teirab to face incumbent Democratic Rep. Angie Craig
- CD 4: Incumbent Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum to face Republican May Lor Xiong
- CD 6: Incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Emmer will face Democrat Jeanne Hendricks
- CD 7: Incumbent Republican Rep. Michelle Fischbach will face Democrat A. John Peters
- CD 8: Incumbent Republican Rep. Pete Stauber will face Democrat Jen Schultz
Wisconsin's big races
Wisconsin primary voters rejected ballot questions aiming to curtail the governor's authority to spend federal funds, a win for Democrats in a key battleground state this presidential election.
Republican businessman and Trump-backed Senate candidate Eric Hovde won his primary race and will face off against incumbent Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in November.
Both have been running against each other for months already. The race was called for Hovde just minutes after the polls closed. But why such a big lead? Experts suggest it's all in the money.
Hovde and Baldwin were both looking way past the primary, with Baldwin holding $36 million in her war chest and Hovde with $17 million.
Anthony Chergosky, assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, said Hovde has already spent millions of his own money and will likely need to continue that spending if he wants to win.
"Baldwin is the favorite, but not an overwhelming favorite. And if national conditions were to go against the Democratic Party, then Hovde would have a real chance to win," Chergosky said. "But he's going to have to continue pouring his own money into the campaign in order to make that happen."
Chergosky also said the lack of a competitive primary is a bonus for Hovde, allowing him to focus on the general election.
Election workers "shake off the rust" in Minneapolis
Primary day in Minneapolis drew a steady stream of voters. And even though the results don't directly impact incumbents quite yet, Secretary of State Steve Simon says they're still important as a warm-up for game day in November.
"For the election judges, the poll workers, some of whom haven't worked at an election for a year or two, this is an opportunity to shake off the rust, get into the groove," Simon said.
Simon says primary voter turnout is hard to predict, but tight races tend to bring more people to the ballot.
People who've been convicted of a felony and served their time in prison were also able to vote, after a recent decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court to uphold those voting rights. This gives more than 50,000 Minnesotans the right to vote.
"The law right now is if you're not in prison and you're 18 and a citizen and a resident of Minnesota, you can vote, including this Tuesday in the primary election," Simon said.
Besides Minnesota and Wisconsin, voters in Connecticut and Vermont also headed to the polls on Tuesday.