The 2008 Minnesota Democratic presidential caucuses took place on

Super Tuesday Super Tuesday is the United States presidential primary election day in February or March when the greatest number of U.S. states hold primary elections and caucuses. Approximately one-third of all delegates to the presidential nominating co ...

, February 5, 2008 with 78 delegates at stake. The winner in each of Minnesota's eight congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 47. Another 25 delegates were awarded to the statewide winner,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

. The 72 delegates represented Minnesota at the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. Sixteen other unpledged delegates, known as

superdelegate In American politics, a superdelegate is an unpledged delegate to the Democratic National Convention who is seated automatically and chooses for themselves for whom they vote. These Democratic Party superdelegates (who make up slightly under 15 ...

s, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.

Candidates

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

Mike Gravel Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel ( ; May 13, 1930 – June 26, 2021) was an American politician and writer who served as a United States Senator from Alaska from 1969 to 1981 as a member of the Democratic Party, and who later in life twice ran for ...

Candidates Joe Biden,

Chris Dodd Christopher John Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American lobbyist, lawyer, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1981 to 2011. Dodd is the longest-serving senator in Connecticut's history. H ...

Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich (; born October 8, 1946) is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008. He ran for ...

Bill Richardson William Blaine Richardson III (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician, author, and diplomat who served as the 30th governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. He was also the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary ...

, and

John Edwards Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...

dropped out of the presidential race before the Minnesota Democratic Caucus.

Money Raised from Minnesota

Process

Of the 88 delegates, 72 were allocated based on the results of the caucuses. Candidates were required to reach a threshold of 15 percent support at the precinct, congressional district, and statewide levels. Unlike other caucuses, there was no realignment of nonviable groups, and the results were binding for the delegates. In 2008, there were more than 4,000 precinct caucus sites. Any Minnesotan who would be eligible to vote in the November general election, was not an active member of a party other than the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and agreed with DFL party principles was allowed to participate. All participants, by signing in, affirmed their agreement with the DFL's principles. The caucus included a presidential preference primary, in which voters cast secret ballots for presidential candidates. These results were tallied and used to elect 47 delegates from each of the state's eight congressional districts as follows: An additional 25 pledged delegates were then allocated based upon the statewide caucus vote. Sixteen of these delegates were allocated for Barack Obama while nine were allocated for Hillary Rodham Clinton. The remaining 16 delegates were unpledged

s. The 14 Democratic Party Leaders and Elected Officials (PLEOs) included seven

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...

members, six members of the

United States 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 Washing ...

, and former

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesota ...

. There were also two unpledged add-on delegates, elected at the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party State Convention.

Pre-Caucus Events, Predictions, and Polls

Polling showed a tightening race for the nomination.

Caucus Night

Minnesotans turned out in record numbers to attend the 2008 Democratic Caucuses in locations throughout the state. The previous record turnout was about 80,000 in 1968 or 1972; the 2008 turnout exceeded 214,000. As the caucus results came in, Barack Obama consistently held a two-to-one lead over Hillary Rodham Clinton with strong support all throughout the state. Turnout at the Democratic Caucuses was significantly higher than at the Minnesota

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 ...

Caucuses that night. Following the results of the Super Tuesday elections,

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar ( ; born May 25, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Minne ...

endorsed Barack Obama.

Results

References

External links

League of Women Voters of Minnesota
Information on caucuses and voting
Minnesota Public Radio, Campaign 2008: Presidential Race
Campaign news and polls
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Detailed caucus information {{2008Demprimaries

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 ...

2008 Minnesota 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; ...

2008 Super Tuesday