The 2008 Minnesota U.S. House of Representatives elections took place on November 4, 2008. All 8 congressional seats that make up the state's delegation were contested. Representatives were elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the

111th United States Congress The 111th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It began during the last weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with th ...

from January 4, 2009 until January 3, 2011. The 2008 presidential election, 2008 Senate election (for the seat held by

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Norm Coleman Norman Bertram Coleman Jr. (born August 17, 1949) is an American politician, attorney, and lobbyist. From 2003 to 2009, he served as a United States Senator for Minnesota. From 1994 to 2002, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. First elected ...

), and 2008 Minnesota Legislature elections occurred on the same date, as well as many local elections and ballot initiatives. The 110th congressional delegation from the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

state of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

had three Republicans and five Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party members (DFLers). Six were men; two were women. Three were freshmen in the 110th congress. The veterans ranged in experience from

Jim Oberstar James Louis Oberstar (September 10, 1934 – May 3, 2014) was an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2011. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, he represented nor ...

with 33 years of experience and the chairman of the Transportation Committee, to John Kline with just four years of experience.

Overview

Statewide

By district

Results of the 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota by district:

District 1

This district extended across southern

from the border with

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

to the border of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Incumbent Democrat

Tim Walz Timothy James Walz ( ; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician and retired educator. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. Born in West Point, Nebraska, Wal ...

, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for re-election. He was elected with 53% of the vote in 2006, defeating 6-term Republican

Gil Gutknecht Gilbert William Gutknecht Jr. (born March 20, 1951) is an American politician. Gutknecht was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives first elected in 1994 to represent Minnesota's 1st congressional district. Gutknec ...

in 2006 in somewhat of a surprise victory. The district had a PVI of R+1.

Democratic primary

Walz, a former teacher and Command Sergeant Major in the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

had no opponent in the race for the DFL nomination for the seat in the September 12, 2006 primary election.

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Brian J. Davis, Mayo Clinic physician

=Eliminated in primary

= *

Dick Day Richard Day (born March 9, 1937) in American politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate who represented District 26, which includes portions of Dodge, Freeborn, Goodhue, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele and Waseca counties in the sout ...

, state senator and former state senator Majority Leader (1997-2007)

=Withdrawn

= * Randy Demmer, state representative *Mark Meyer, actuary, lawyer and member of the Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial School Board

Results

Independence primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Gregory Mikkelson

Results

General election

Predictions

Results

Walz won a second term, garnering 62.5% of the vote.

District 2

This district spans the width of the entire southern metro area and contains all of Carver, Scott, Le Sueur, Goodhue and

Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

Counties and most of Dakota County. Incumbent Republican John Kline, who had represented the district since 2003, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 56.2% of the vote in 2006. The district had a PVI of R+3.

Republican primary

Republican John Kline held on to the second district seat in 2006, defeating DFL challenger, former

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

agent,

Coleen Rowley Coleen Rowley (born December 20, 1954) is an American former FBI special agent and whistleblower, and was a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) candidate for Congress in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, one of eight congressional dist ...

. The district Republican lean, Kline's unwavering support for Bush and the

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did not make him appear too vulnerable to a challenger in 2008.

Candidates

=Nominee

= * John Kline, incumbent U.S. Representative

Democratic primary

On October 4, 2007,

veteran Steve Sarvi announced he would challenge Kline for the seat. His experience also included being mayor of

Watertown, Minnesota Watertown is a small city in Carver County, Minnesota, United States, along the South Fork of the Crow River, on the outskirts of the Twin Cities metro area. The population was 4,659 at the 2020 census. History Watertown was platted in 1858, ...

and city administrator for Victoria, Minnesota. He believed that a change in U.S. policy in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

was needed. On May 3, Sarvi was endorsed by the 2nd District DFL party. He was also endorsed by the

Independence Party of Minnesota The Independence Party of Minnesota (often abbreviated IPM, MNIP or IP), formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is a political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was the party of former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura (1999–2003). ...

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Steve Sarvi,

veteran and former Mayor of

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

General election

Predictions

Results

Kline won garnering 57.3% of the vote.

District 3

This district encompasses the suburbs of

Hennepin County Hennepin County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its county seat is Minneapolis, the state's most populous city. The county is named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. The county extends from Minneapo ...

to the north, west, and south of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. Incumbent Republican

Jim Ramstad James Marvin Ramstad (May 6, 1946 – November 5, 2020) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Minnesota's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009. A member of the Republican Part ...

, who had represented the district since 1991, announced on September 17, 2007 that he would not seek re-election in 2008. He was re-elected with 64.9% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of Even.

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

Erik Paulsen Erik Philip Paulsen (born May 14, 1965) is an American businessman and politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 2009 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Minnesota House of Representati ...

, state representative from district 42B since 1995, and former Minnesota House Majority Leader (2003–2007)

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Ashwin Madia, attorney and

veteran

=Withdrawn

= * Terri Bonoff, state senator *Jim Hovland, Mayor of Edina (withdrew March 2008)

Endorsements

Results

Independence primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * David Dillon, businessman

=Eliminated in primary

= * Steev Ramsdell

Results

Constitution primary

Candidates

=Withdrawn

= *Harley Swarm

General election

Polling

Predictions

Results

Paulsen won the 2008 race, garnering 48.5% of the vote.

District 4

This district covers most of Ramsey County including all of

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

and several Saint Paul suburbs. Incumbent Democrat

Betty McCollum Betty Louise McCollum (born July 12, 1954) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2001. She is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). McCollum's district centers on St. Paul, Minnesota's ...

, who had represented the district since 2001, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 69.5% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of D+13.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Ed Matthews, attorney

General election

Predictions

CQ Politics forecast the race as 'Safe Democratic'.

Results

McCollum won the race, garnering 68.4% of the vote.

District 5

This district covers eastern

, including the entire city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, along with parts of Anoka and

Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Geography British Isles * Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England * Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England ** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey" * Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...

counties. Incumbent Democrat Keith Ellison, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for re-election. He was elected with 55.6% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of D+21. He was the first

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

U.S. Representative from Minnesota as well as the first Muslim member of the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Keith Ellison, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= * Gregg A. Iverson

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Barb Davis White, minister, author, and civil rights activist

Results

Independence primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Bill McGaughey

Results

General election

Predictions

CQ Politics forecast the race as 'Safe Democratic'.

Results

District 6

This district includes most or all of Benton, Sherburne, Stearns,

Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...

, Anoka, and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

counties. Incumbent Republican

Michele Bachmann Michele Marie Bachmann (; née Amble; born April 6, 1956) is an American politician who was the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 2007 until 2015. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for re-election. She was elected with 50.1% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+5.

Republican primary

Bachmann won a hard-fought battle against

Patty Wetterling Patricia Lynn "Patty" Wetterling (born November 2, 1949) is an American advocate of children's safety and chair of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Her advocacy particularly focuses on protecting children from abduction and ...

in 2006, with the help of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney campaigning on her behalf and a multimillion-dollar warchest.

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= * Aubrey Immelman

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Elwyn Tinklenberg, former Minnesota Commissioner of Transportation (1999-2002), former Mayor of Blaine, former Methodist minister and candidate for this seat in 2006

=Withdrawn

= *Bob Olson, banker, tax lawyer and nominee for this seat in

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...

Results

Independence primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Bob Anderson

Results

General election

Campaign

Bachmann's charges about "anti-American views" shifted the political dynamics of this campaign, giving a lift to Tinklenberg's candidacy and attracting $1.3 million in new contributions, plus $1 million from the DNC. At the same time the RNC withdrew media buys on behalf of Bachmann.

Endorsements

Polling

Predictions

CQ Politics changed its forecast from 'Republican Favored' to 'Leans Republican' on October 20, and then to 'No Clear Favorite' on October 28. The Cook Political Report then rated it as 'Republican Toss Up'.

Results

Despite the controversy, Bachmann was re-elected, garnering 46.4% of the vote to Tinklenberg's 43.4% and Anderson's 10%.

District 7

This district covers almost all of the western side of

from the Canada–US border down to Lincoln County and is the largest district in the state. Incumbent Democrat

Collin Peterson Collin Clark Peterson (born June 29, 1944) is an American accountant and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1991 to 2021. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, or the DFL. he was chairman of the Ho ...

, who had represented the district since 1991, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 69.7% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+6.

Democratic primary

As chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, 9-term DFLer

is at home in this mostly-agricultural district. Although the district leans Republican, Peterson's social conservatism and farmer/labor DFL values served him well in his district.

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Glen Menze, accountant and nominee for this seat in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

=Eliminated in primary

= * Alan Roebke, farmer and

convicted felon A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...

Results

General election

Predictions

CQ Politics forecast the race as 'Safe Democratic'.

Results

District 8

This district covers the northeastern part of

and includes

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

Hibbing Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,214 at the 2020 census. The city was built on mining the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range and still relies on that industrial activity today. At th ...

, and the

Mesabi Range The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesota ...

. Incumbent Democrat

, who had represented the district since 1975, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 63.6% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of D+4.

Democratic primary

Seventeen-term veteran DFLer,

was Minnesota's senior representative. In 2006, former Republican U.S. Senator

Rod Grams Rodney Dwight Grams (February 4, 1948 – October 8, 2013) was an American politician and television news anchor who served in both the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. A local news anchor, Grams became well-known ...

challenged Oberstar, garnering 34% of the vote. In 2008, 74-year-old Oberstar maintained his popularity among his constituency. The district leaned Democratic owing to the loyalty of miners, loggers, and farmers to the DFL. On May 3, 2008, the 8th District DFL endorsed Oberstar for another term.

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Michael Cummins, small business owner

General election

Predictions

CQ Politics forecast the race as 'Safe Democratic'.

Results

References

External links

Election Center
from the ''Minnesota Secretary of State''
Minnesota U.S. House Races
from ''2008 Race Tracker''
Campaign contributions for Minnesota congressional races
from

OpenSecrets OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...

{{2008 United States elections

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...