The 2010 Minnesota U.S. House of Representatives elections took place on November 2, 2010. All eight congressional seats in the state's delegation were contested. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 112th United States Congress from January 3, 2011, until January 3, 2013. The 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial, 2010 Minnesota House elections and 2010 Minnesota Senate elections occurred on the same date, as well as many local elections and ballot initiatives. The 111th congressional delegation from the U.S. state of Minnesota had five Democratic Farmer Labor Party members (DFLers) and 3 Republicans. All the incumbents were reelected except District 8's Jim Oberstar, who was defeated in his bid for a 19th term. This left Minnesota with an equal number of Democratic and Republican representatives.

Overview

The table below shows the total number and percentage of votes, as well as the number of seats gained and lost by each political party in the election for the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota.

Statewide

By district

Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota by district:

District 1

Incumbent Democrat Tim Walz, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for reelection. He was reelected with 62.5% of the vote in 2008. The district had a PVI of R+1. No primary elections were held in the 1st congressional district in 2010.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Withdrawn

Campaign

Shortly after launching his campaign, Quist attracted controversy for a speech he gave at the Wabasha County Republicans' December 7 Christmas Party, in which he said: "Our country is being destroyed. Every generation has had to fight the fight for freedom… Terrorism? Yes. That's not the big battle. The big battle is in D.C. with the radicals. They aren't liberals. They are radicals. Obama, Pelosi, Walz: they’re not liberals, they're radicals. They are destroying our country." He also spoke against the Affordable Health Care for America Act, saying: "This is the most insidious, evil piece of legislation I have ever seen in my life… Every one of us has to be totally committed to killing this travesty… I have to kill this bill."

Independence primary

Candidates

Nominee

Independents

General election

Polling

Predictions

Results

Walz won the general election on November 2 with 49% of the vote to Demmer's 44%. External links

District 2

Incumbent Republican John Kline, who had represented the district since 2003, ran for reelection. He was reelected with 57.3% of the vote in 2008. The district had a PVI of R+4.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Campaign

Despite losing the DFL endorsement to Powers, Madore remained in the race, much to the anger of a number of party loyalists. She was boosted by questions about Powers's résumé.

Results

General election

Predictions

CQ Politics rated the seat "Safe Republican".

Results

Kline won the general election on November 2, 63% to 37%. External links

District 3

Incumbent Republican Erik Paulsen, who had represented the district since 2009, ran for reelection. He was elected with 48.5% of the vote in 2008. The district had a PVI of Even. No primary elections were held in the 3rd congressional district in 2010.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Withdrawn

Declined

General election

Campaign

Meffert lacked the funds to afford television advertising, but he gained some name recognition from the Paulsen campaign's attack ads. Political analyst David Schultz said, "Given how little money that Meffert has, you would've thought Paulsen would've just ignored Meffert completely and just run a positive campaign." Meffert responded to the attack: "It's the kind of thing that makes people cynical about politics and politicians when you hide behind a big bank account and you throw up an ad that's designed to tear down your opponent." After the Paulsen campaign included a misleading graph in a mailing, Meffert filed an ethics complaint against Paulsen.

Predictions

CQ Politics rated the seat "Safe Republican".

Results

Paulsen won the general election on November 2, 59% to 37%. External links

District 4

Incumbent Betty McCollum, who had represented the district since 2001, ran for reelection. She was reelected with 68.4% of the vote in 2008. The district had a PVI of D+13.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Results

Independence primary

Candidates

Nominee

Results

General election

Predictions

CQ Politics rated the seat "Safe Democratic".

Results

McCollum won the general election on November 2, 59% to 35%. External links

District 5

Incumbent Keith Ellison, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for reelection. Ellison is the first Muslim to be elected to Congress. He was reelected with 67.7% of the vote in 2008. The district had a PVI of D+23.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Results

Independence primary

Candidates

Nominee

Results

General election

Predictions

CQ Politics rated the seat "Safe Democratic".

Results

Ellison won the general election on November 2, 68% to 24%. External links

District 6

Incumbent Republican Michele Bachmann, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for reelection. She was reelected with 46.4% of the vote in 2008. The district had a PVI of R+7.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Results

Democratic primary

The DFL endorsed Tarryl Clark, the state senate assistant majority leader. She was Bachmann's sole Democratic challenger, Maureen Reed having dropped out of the race in June. A physician and former University of Minnesota regent chair, Reed threw her support behind Clark, saying she felt "it is time for the DFL to unify behind one candidate in this race".

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Withdrawn

Results

Independence primary

Candidates

Nominee

Results

General election

Polling

Bachmann vs. Reed

Predictions

Results

Bachmann won the general election on November 2, 52% to 38%. External links

District 7

Incumbent Collin Peterson, who had represented the district since 1991, ran for reelection. He was reelected with 72.2% of the vote in 2008. The district had a PVI of R+5.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Withdrawn

Results

Independence primary

Candidates

Nominee

Results

General election

Predictions

Results

Peterson won the general election on November 2, 55% to 38%. External links

District 8

Incumbent Jim Oberstar, who had represented the district since 1975, ran for reelection. He was reelected with 67.7% of the vote in 2008. The district had a PVI of D+3.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Withdrawn

Results

Independence primary

Candidates

Nominee

Results

General election

Campaign

Cravaack entered the race as the underdog. He was a political novice and Democrats had held the 8th district since 1947. Oberstar was the longest-serving congressman in Minnesota history and had never received less than 59% of the vote. Cravaack campaigned on a standard Republican platform of free-market principles and government spending cuts while attacking Oberstar's vote for the ACA.

Endorsements

Polling

Predictions

Results

Cravaack defeated Oberstar, 48% to 47%. External links