MINNESOTA
      2018 Race for Governor: The Nominating Campaigns

Open Seat
(Aug. 2018, revised Dec. 9, 2021) The race to succeed retiring two-term Gov. Mark Dayton (DFL) drew many candidates with a range of experience in elective office and the private sector.  Republicans had not won a statewide office in 12 years, but Trump came close to carrying the state in 2016, falling short by 44,765 votes (1.52 percentage points) out of more than 2.9 million votes cast. The 2018 cycle proved to be a busy one for Minnesota.  In addition to the governor's race, the resignation of Sen. Al Franken meant both U.S. Senate seats were up, and there were open U.S. House seats and the battle for control of the legislature.

DFL and Republican candidates pursue two major strategies in seeking their party's nomination: vie for the party's endorsement at the state convention or bypass the convention and run in the primary.   Sometimes a candidate will be unsuccessful in competing for the endorsement but opt to continue their campaign to the primary. 
The endorsement represents a grassroots "seal of approval" but does not always translate into a primary win.  It is not unusual for a nominee to change his or her campaign manager after the convention, as rallying up support of delegates and winning support at the ballot box are very different tasks. Also interesting to watch are candidates' choices for lieutenant governor.  Candidates often try to achieve gender balance with their picks; there are differences in the timing of the running mate announcements and the role the number twos play and their prominence in the campaign. Also note, in Minnesota candidates for governor (and other legislative and constitutional offices) can qualify for public subsidies overseen by the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (>). 

DFL
First of the major candidates to announce for governor was state Rep. Erin Murphy in Nov. 2016, most of the candidates announce
d during the course of 2017, and last in was Attorney General Lori Swanson in June 2018.  Precinct caucus straw polls held by both parties on the evening of Feb. 6, 2018 helped winnow the field.  The DFL held its convention in Rochester on June 1-3.  Competing for the endorsement were U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, Murphy and state Auditor Rebecca Otto; Murphy won the party's endorsement on the seventh ballot,  However, in the Aug. 14 DFL primary, Walz won with 41.6% of the vote followed by Murphy at 32.0%, Swanson at 24.6% and Tim Holden at 1.1%.


DFL
Announced
(Withdrew)
Running Mate
Announced
Erin Murphy
Nov. 17, 2016

Erin Maye Quade
June 3, 2018
Lori Swanson
June 4, 2018

Rick Nolan
June 4, 2018
Tim Walz
Mar. 27, 2017

Peggy Flanagan
Oct. 5, 2017
Rebecca Otto
Jan. 9, 2017
June 4, 2018
Zarina Baber
May 21, 2018
Tina Liebling
Apr. 2, 2017
Mar. 12, 2018


Chris Coleman
Dec.  13, 2016
Feb. 12, 2018


Paul Thissen
June 15, 2017
Feb. 7, 2018


           Other DFL Candidates: Tim Holden/James Mellin II; Ole Savior/Chris Edman.

Republican
Republicans held their convention in Duluth on June 1-2 and endorsed Johnson (>), but former Gov. Tim Pawlenty bypassed the convention and ran in the primary.  Many observers expected Pawlenty would prevail, but Johnson defeated Pawlenty and Matt Kruse by 52.6% to 43.9% and 3.5%.  Comebacks by former officials are not always successful; there is what one might call a "retread effect" where voters look for something new.

GOP
Announced
(Withdrew)
Running Mate
Announced
Jeff Johnson
May 10, 2017

Donna Bergstrom
May 14, 2018
Tim Pawlenty
Apr. 5, 2018

Michelle Fischbach
May 31, 2018
Mary Giuliani Stephens
Nov. 29, 2017
June 2, 2018
Jeff Backer
May 2, 2018
Keith Downey
July 24, 2017
Apr. 18, 2018


Matt Dean
Apr. 26, 2017
Jan. 25, 2018


Dave Osmek
Aug. 22, 2017
Jan. 8, 2018


Blake Huffman
April 18, 2017
Sept. 3, 2017


          Other former GOP candidates include Bob Carney, Jr.; Lance Johnson; Phillip Parrish; and Jeffrey Wharton.




        
        Campaign Literature from Major Candidates

On the Ballot
DFL
 
REPUBLICAN


  






missing: Pawlenty



missing: Swanson




Former Candidates
DFL
 
REPUBLICAN


  












missing: Liebling




missing: Osmek, Huffman


Hats in the Ring:
Major Candidate Announcements

DFL
Murphy
Coleman
Otto

Walz
Liebling

Thissen











Swanson

Nov.
16
Dec.
16
Jan. 17
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
Jun.
Jul.
Aug.
Sep.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan. 18
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
Jun.
GOP





Huffman
Dean
Johnson

Downey
Osmek


Stephens




Pawlenty



Out of the Ring:
Major Candidates Leave the Race

DFL















Thissen
Coleman

Liebling


Otto

Nov.
16
Dec.
16
Jan. 17
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
Jun.
Jul.
Aug.
Sep.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan. 18
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
Jun.
GOP










Huffman



Osmek
Dean


Downey

Stephens

On the Issues
Murphy/Maye-Quade
Swanson/Nolan
Walz/Flanagan
Johnson/Bergstrom
Pawlenty/Fischbach



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