2014 United States Senate election in Minnesota

The 2014 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Minnesota, concurrently with the election of the governor of Minnesota, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.
Incumbent [Minnesota Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party|Democratic–Farmer–Labor] Senator Al Franken ran for re-election to a second term. Primary elections were held on August 12, 2014, in which Franken was renominated and the Republicans picked financial executive Mike McFadden. In the general election, Franken defeated him and Independence Party nominee Steve Carlson and Heather Johnson of the Libertarian Party with 53% of the vote. As of, this is the last time that a male candidate won a U.S. Senate election in Minnesota. This is also the last time that the winner of Minnesota's Class 2 Senate seat won a majority of counties.

Background

Franken challenged incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman in 2008. When the initial count was completed on November 18, Franken was trailing Coleman by 215 votes. This close margin triggered a mandatory recount. After reviewing ballots that had been challenged during the recount and counting 953 wrongly rejected absentee ballots, the State Canvassing Board officially certified the recount results with Franken holding a 225-vote lead.
On January 6, 2009, Coleman's campaign filed an election contest and on April 13, a three-judge panel dismissed Coleman's Notice of Contest and ruled that Franken had won the election by 312 votes. Coleman's appeal of the panel's decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court was unanimously rejected on June 30, and he conceded the election. Franken was sworn in as Minnesota's junior senator on July 7, 2009.
Because Franken's margin of victory was so slim, the seat was initially thought to be a top target for Republicans, but Politico reported in a May 2013 article that Franken's high approval rating, his large war chest, and the Republicans' struggle to find a top-tier candidate meant that Franken was the "heavy favorite" in the 2014 election.

Democratic–Farmer–Labor primary

Candidates

Declared

Al Franken, incumbent U.S. senator
Sandra Henningsgard

Republican primary

At the Republican State Convention on May 30–31, 2014, after ten ballots, Mike McFadden received the party's endorsement. Chris Dahlberg, Monti Moreno, Julianne Ortman and Phillip Parrish had all sought the endorsement but withdrew in favor of McFadden. Only Jim Abeler continued in the race and contested the August primary against McFadden. David Carlson did not participate in the convention after a dispute with party leadership over nominating petitions. He, Patrick D. Munro and Ole Savior also appeared on the ballot.

Candidates

Declared

Jim Abeler, state representative
David Carlson, veteran and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012
Mike McFadden, financial executive
Patrick D. Munro
Ole Savior, perennial candidate

Withdrew

Chris Dahlberg, St. Louis County commissioner
Monti Moreno, bison farmer, former hair salon owner and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1996
Julianne Ortman, state senator
Phillip Parrish, U.S. Navy reservist
Harold Shudlick, retired U.S. Army chaplain and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2006 and 2012

Declined

Michele Bachmann, U.S. representative
Laura Brod, former state representative
Norm Coleman, former U.S. senator
Chip Cravaack, former U.S. representative
Bill Guidera, finance chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota
Pete Hegseth, CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, former executive director of Vets For Freedom and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012
John Kline, U.S. representative
Jason Lewis, radio talk show host and political commentator
Erik Paulsen, U.S. representative
Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota
Rich Stanek, Hennepin County sheriff

Polling

Republican primary

Poll source				Michele Bachmann	Laura Brod	Chip Cravaack	John Kline	Erik Paulsen	Rich Stanek	Other/ Undecided
Public Policy Polling	January 18–20, 2013	275	± 5.9%	45%	4%	13%	19%	11%	2%	6%

Independence primary

The Independence Party of Minnesota state convention was held on May 17, 2014, at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Businessman Kevin Terrell won the party's endorsement, but lost the primary to Steve Carlson. Carlson did not ask for an endorsement from the Independence Party, and self-identified with the Tea Party. For their part, the Independence Party disowned Carlson, who defended Todd Akin's controversial [Rape and pregnancy statement controversies in the United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2012|2012 United States elections|"legitimate rape" comments] and said that George Zimmerman "provided a valuable service" by killing Trayvon Martin.

Candidates

Declared

Jack Shepard, dentist, convicted felon, fugitive and perennial candidate
Kevin Terrell, business consultant

Withdrew

Hannah Nicollet

Libertarian convention

The Libertarian Party of Minnesota state convention was held on April 26, 2014, in Maple Grove.

Candidates

Nominee

Heather Johnson

General election

Debates

, October 1, 2014
, October 26, 2014

Polling

Poll source				Al Franken	Jim Abeler	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	October 27–29, 2013	895	± 3.3%	50%	39%	—	11%
SurveyUSA	February 25–27, 2014	545	± 4.3%	49%	37%	—	14%
Suffolk	April 24–28, 2014	800	± ?	45%	29%	8%	19%
SurveyUSA	June 5–9, 2014	1,017	± 3.1%	48%	39%	8%	5%
Public Policy Polling	June 12–15, 2014	633	± 3.9%	50%	39%	—	11%

Poll source				Al Franken	Michele Bachmann	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	January 21–22, 2012	1,236	± 2.8%	54%	39%	—	7%
Public Policy Polling	May 31 – June 3, 2012	973	± 3.1%	57%	35%	—	8%
Public Policy Polling	September 10–11, 2012	824	± 3.4%	52%	40%	—	7%
Public Policy Polling	October 5–8, 2012	937	± 3.2%	55%	37%	—	8%
Public Policy Polling	January 18–20, 2013	1,065	± 3%	54%	40%	—	7%
Public Policy Polling	May 17–19, 2013	712	± 3.7%	55%	38%	—	7%

Poll source				Al Franken	David Carlson	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 12–15, 2014	633	± 3.9%	49%	38%	—	13%

Poll source				Al Franken	Norm Coleman	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	May 31 – June 3, 2012	973	± 3.1%	51%	41%	—	8%
Public Policy Polling	September 10–11, 2012	824	± 3.4%	50%	43%	—	6%
Public Policy Polling	October 5–8, 2012	937	± 3.2%	51%	41%	—	8%
Public Policy Polling	January 18–20, 2013	1,065	± 3%	50%	44%	—	7%

Poll source				Al Franken	Chris Dahlberg	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	October 27–29, 2013	895	± 3.3%	49%	39%	—	12%
SurveyUSA	February 25–27, 2014	545	± 4.3%	49%	41%	—	10%
Suffolk	April 24–28, 2014	800	± ?	45%	28%	8%	20%

Poll source				Al Franken	John Kline	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	January 18–20, 2013	1,065	± 3%	49%	41%	—	11%

Poll source				Al Franken	Jason Lewis	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	May 17–19, 2013	712	± 3.7%	54%	37%	—	9%

Poll source				Al Franken	Monti Moreno	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	October 27–29, 2013	895	± 3.3%	49%	36%	—	15%
SurveyUSA	February 25–27, 2014	545	± 4.3%	50%	36%	—	15%

Poll source				Al Franken	Patrick Munro	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 12–15, 2014	633	± 3.9%	50%	35%	—	15%

Poll source				Al Franken	Julianne Ortman	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	May 17–19, 2013	712	± 3.7%	52%	35%	—	14%
Public Policy Polling	October 27–29, 2013	895	± 3.3%	49%	37%	—	14%
SurveyUSA	February 25–27, 2014	545	± 4.3%	49%	41%	—	10%
Suffolk	April 24–28, 2014	800	± ?	44%	29%	7%	20%

Poll source				Al Franken	Erik Paulsen	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	January 18–20, 2013	1,065	± 3%	50%	39%	—	11%

Poll source				Al Franken	Tim Pawlenty	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	January 21–22, 2012	1,236	± 2.8%	49%	43%	—	8%
Public Policy Polling	May 31 – June 3, 2012	973	± 3.1%	52%	41%	—	7%
Public Policy Polling	September 10–11, 2012	824	± 3.4%	50%	43%	—	7%
Public Policy Polling	October 5–8, 2012	937	± 3.2%	51%	42%	—	7%

Poll source				Al Franken	Julie Rosen	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	May 17–19, 2013	712	± 3.7%	52%	36%	—	12%

Poll source				Al Franken	Ole Savior	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	June 12–15, 2014	633	± 3.9%	50%	33%	—	17%

Poll source				Al Franken	Harold Shudlick	Other	Undecided
SurveyUSA	February 25–27, 2014	545	± 4.3%	50%	36%	—	14%

Poll source				Al Franken	Rich Stanek	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	May 17–19, 2013	712	± 3.7%	51%	36%	—	13%

Results

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

By congressional district

Franken won six of eight congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.

District	Franken	McFadden	Representative
	49%	45%	Tim Walz
	49%	48%	John Kline
	48.5%	48.7%	Erik Paulsen
	61%	35%	Betty McCollum
	74%	23%	Keith Ellison
	42%	54%	Tom Emmer
	48%	47%	Collin Peterson
	54%	42%	Rick Nolan