2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota
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The 2000 congressional elections in Minnesota were held on November 7, 2000 to determine who would represent the state of Minnesota in the United States House of Representatives.
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November 7, 2000
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All 8 Minnesota seats to the United States House of Representatives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Minnesota had eight seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1990 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 107th Congress from January 3, 2001 until January 3, 2003. The election coincided with the 2000 presidential election and the 2000 U.S. Senate election.
Except for DFLer David Minge of the 2nd congressional district, all other House incumbents from Minnesota who stood for reelection were reelected. Minge's seat came under the control of the Republican Party of Minnesota as a result of the 2000 election. DFL incumbent Bruce Vento of the 4th congressional district died in office less than a month prior to the election; however, he was not seeking reelection, and the DFL nominee running for election to replace him, Betty McCollum, was able to keep the seat in the DFL's hands.
Overview
Statewide
| Party | Candidates | Votes[1] | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | +/– | % | |||
| Democratic-Farmer-Labor | 8 | 1,234,204 | 52.21 | 5 |  1 |
62.50 | |
| Republican | 8 | 993,371 | 42.02 | 3 |  1 |
37.50 | |
| Independence | 3 | 75,097 | 3.18 | 0 |  |
0.0 | |
| Constitution | 6 | 24,248 | 1.03 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Other | 1 | 19,667 | 0.83 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Libertarian | 4 | 17,151 | 0.73 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Total | 30 | 2,363,738 | 100.0 | 8 | |
100.0 | |
District 1
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 Precinct results Gutknecht: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Rieder: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht, who had represented Minnesota's 1st congressional district since 1994, ran against Mary Rieder of the DFL and Rich Osness of the Libertarian Party.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Gil Gutknecht, incumbent U.S. representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gil Gutknecht (incumbent) | 17,824 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 17,824 | 100.0 | ||
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Mary Rieder, economics professor at Winona State University and nominee for this seat in 1998
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Mary Rieder | 31,244 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 31,244 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Rich Osness, photographer, business owner and nominee for state senate, District 27 in 1996
General election
Results
Gutknecht won a fourth term, defeating second-place Rieder by a landslide margin of nearly 15 percent, as Osness placed at a very distant third.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gil Gutknecht (incumbent) | 159,835 | 56.4 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Mary Rieder | 117,946 | 41.6 | |
| Libertarian | Rich Osness | 5,440 | 1.9 | |
| Total votes | 283,221 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 2
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 Precinct results Kennedy: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Minge: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent DFLer David Minge, who was first elected in 1992, ran against Mark Kennedy of the Republican Party, Gerald W. Brekke of the Independence Party, Ron Helwig of the Libertarian Party, and Dennis A. Burda of the Constitution Party.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- David Minge, incumbent U.S. representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | David Minge (incumbent) | 30,089 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 30,089 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Mark Kennedy, business executive
Eliminated in primary
- Joe Wagner, Scott County commissioner
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Kennedy | 13,779 | 79.3 | |
| Republican | Joe Wagner | 3,598 | 20.7 | |
| Total votes | 17,377 | 100.0 | ||
Independence primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Gerald Brekke, retired professor at Gustavus Adolphus College and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 1976 and for Minnesota secretary of state in 1978
Eliminated in primary
- Stan Bentz, perennial candidate
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | Gerald W. Brekke | 292 | 52.6 | |
| Independence | Stan Bentz | 263 | 47.4 | |
| Total votes | 555 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Ron Helwig, software engineer
Constitution primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Dennis Burda, computer network specialist
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitution | Dennis Burda | 170 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 170 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Results
Kennedy dashed Minge's hopes for a fifth term, defeating the incumbent by a razor-thin margin of six one hundredths of one percent of the vote, while Brekke finished a very distant third. Helwig and Burda, respectively, finished an even more distant fourth and fifth. Minge conceded the race on December 12.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Kennedy | 138,957 | 48.1 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | David Minge (incumbent) | 138,802 | 48.0 | |
| Independence | Gerald Brekke | 7,875 | 2.7 | |
| Libertarian | Ron Helwig | 1,929 | 0.7 | |
| Constitution | Dennis Burda | 1,337 | 0.5 | |
| Total votes | 288,900 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | ||||
District 3
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 Precinct results Ramstad: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Shuff: 40–50% 50–60% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Jim Ramstad, who was first elected in 1990, faced off against Sue Shuff of the DFL, Bob Odden of the Libertarian Party, and Arne Niska of the Constitution Party.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jim Ramstad, incumbent U.S. representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Ramstad (incumbent) | 13,995 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 13,995 | 100.0 | ||
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Sue Shuff, facilitator
Eliminated in primary
- Darryl Stanton, entrepreneur and inventor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Sue Shuff | 29,841 | 74.5 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Darryl Stanton | 10,197 | 25.5 | |
| Total votes | 40,038 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bob Odden, business safety consultant and nominee for State Senate, District 62 in 1996 and for state auditor in 1998
Constitution primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Arne Niska, electrical engineer
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitution | Arne Niska | 111 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 111 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Results
Ramstad had no difficulty winning a sixth term in Congress, as he defeated Shuff by a 37.79 percent margin, while Odden finished a distant third and Niska finished slightly behind Odden.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Ramstad (incumbent) | 222,571 | 67.6 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Sue Shuff | 98,219 | 29.9 | |
| Libertarian | Bob Odden | 5,302 | 1.6 | |
| Constitution | Arne Niska | 2,970 | 0.9 | |
| Total votes | 329,062 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 4
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 Precinct results McCollum: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Runbeck: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% No votes | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent DFLer Bruce Vento died in office on October 10, 2000, less than a month before the election. However, as Vento had not been seeking reelection, it was not necessary for any special election to be held or for the DFL to select another candidate. Betty McCollum had been selected in the DFL primary to seek election to replace Vento. Opposing McCollum were Linda Runbeck of the Republican Party, Tom Foley of the Independence Party, and Nicholas Skrivanek of the Constitution Party.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Betty McCollum, state representative from district 55B
Eliminated in primary
- Chris Coleman, St. Paul City councilor and attorney
- Cathie Hartnett, St. Paul School Board member
- Steve Novak, state senator from district 52
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Betty McCollum | 35,911 | 50.4 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Steven Novak | 16,332 | 22.9 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Chris Coleman | 13,555 | 19.0 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Cathie Hartnett | 5,454 | 7.7 | |
| Total votes | 71,252 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Linda Runbeck, state senator from district 53
Eliminated in primary
- Mary Jane Reagan, writer, retired school teacher, nominee for this seat in 1984, candidate in 1992, for Minnesota secretary of state in 1986[clarification needed] and for governor in 1990
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Linda Runbeck | 10,722 | 86.2 | |
| Republican | Mary Jane Reagan | 1,713 | 13.8 | |
| Total votes | 12,435 | 100.0 | ||
Independence primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Tom Foley, former Ramsey County and Washington County attorney, DFL candidate for U.S. Senate in 1994 and for lieutenant governor in 1998
Eliminated in primary
- Pam Ellison, directory assistance operator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | Tom Foley | 750 | 63.3 | |
| Independence | Pam Ellison | 434 | 36.7 | |
| Total votes | 1,184 | 100.0 | ||
Constitution primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Nicholas Skrivanek
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitution | Nicholas Skrivanek | 114 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 114 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Results
McCollum did not face any great difficulty keeping the seat (which represented a very liberal population centered around St. Paul) in DFL hands. McCollum defeated Runbeck by a margin of more than 17 percent of the vote. Due to a surprisingly strong showing by Foley (who finished about 10 percent behind Runbeck), McCollum was able to win by such a large margin while simultaneously failing to secure a majority of the vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Betty McCollum | 130,403 | 48.0 | |
| Republican | Linda Runbeck | 83,852 | 30.9 | |
| Independence | Tom Foley | 55,899 | 20.6 | |
| Constitution | Nicholas Skrivanek | 1,285 | 0.5 | |
| Total votes | 271,439 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
District 5
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 Precinct results Sabo: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Taylor: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent DFLer Martin Sabo, who was first elected in 1978, faced absolutely no difficulty in winning his 12th term as the representative of the very liberal 5th congressional district, which was centered around Minneapolis.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Martin Olav Sabo, incumbent U.S. representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Martin Olav Sabo (incumbent) | 55,879 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 55,879 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Frank Taylor, teacher and nominee for this seat in 1998
Eliminated in primary
- Chris Flynn, retired accountant and candidate for this seat in 1996
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank Taylor | 4,837 | 63.2 | |
| Republican | Chris Flynn | 2,815 | 36.8 | |
| Total votes | 7,652 | 100.0 | ||
Independence primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Rob Tomich, cashier
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | Rob Tomich | 698 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 698 | 100.0 | ||
Constitution primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Renee Lavoi, counselor and psychotherapist
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitution | Renee Lavoi | 128 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 128 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Chuck Charnstrom, insurance broker
General election
Results
Although he was faced, in the general election, with a very crowded field of challengers, Sabo was able to win over 69 percent of the vote, and defeated second-place Republican Frank Taylor by an overwhelming 46.42 percent margin.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Martin Olav Sabo (incumbent) | 176,629 | 69.2 | |
| Republican | Frank Taylor | 58,191 | 22.8 | |
| Independence | Rob Tomich | 11,323 | 4.4 | |
| Constitution | Renee Lavoi | 4,522 | 1.8 | |
| Libertarian | Chuck Charnstrom | 4,480 | 1.8 | |
| Total votes | 255,145 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
District 6
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 Precinct results Luther: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Kline: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Tie: 40–50% 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Bill Luther, who was first elected as the U.S. representative from the 6th congressional district in 1994, faced an extremely close challenge in 2000.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bill Luther, incumbent U.S. representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Bill Luther (incumbent) | 45,378 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 45,378 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John Kline, retired United States Marine Corps Colonel and nominee for this seat in 1998
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Kline | 19,029 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 19,029 | 100.0 | ||
Constitution primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Ralph Hubbard, retired United States Postal Service worker
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitution | Ralph Hubbard | 242 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 242 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Results
Luther won reelection for his fourth term in Congress by a razor-thin margin, defeating Republican challenger John Kline by a margin of just 1.53 percent of the vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Bill Luther (incumbent) | 176,340 | 49.6 | |
| Republican | John Kline | 170,900 | 48.0 | |
| Constitution | Ralph Hubbard | 8,584 | 2.4 | |
| Total votes | 355,824 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
District 7
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 Precinct results Peterson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Menze: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Tie: 40–50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent DFLer Collin Peterson, who was first elected in 1990, faced no difficulty winning his sixth term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Glen Menze by a landslide 39.41 percent margin.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Collin Peterson, incumbent U.S. representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Collin Peterson (incumbent) | 33,948 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 33,948 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Glen Menze, farmer, rental property business operator and Starbuck School Board member
Eliminated in primary
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Glen Menze | 10,258 | 65.4 | |
| Republican | Aleta Edin | 5,433 | 34.6 | |
| Total votes | 15,691 | 100.0 | ||
Constitution primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Owen Sivertson, Integrity Windows employee
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitution | Owen Sivertson | 141 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 141 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Collin Peterson (incumbent) | 185,771 | 68.7 | |
| Republican | Glen Menze | 79,175 | 29.3 | |
| Constitution | Owen Sivertson | 5,550 | 2.1 | |
| Total votes | 270,496 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
District 8
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 Precinct results Oberstar: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Lemen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent DFLer Jim Oberstar, who was first elected in 1974, had no difficulty winning his 14th term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Bob Lemen by a margin of more than 42 percent.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jim Oberstar, incumbent U.S. representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | James L. Oberstar (incumbent) | 64,189 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 64,189 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Robert N. Lemen, businessman and former state representative
Eliminated in primary
- Warren L. Nelson, engineering consultant
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Lemen | 7,197 | 50.1 | |
| Republican | Warren Nelson | 7,179 | 49.9 | |
| Total votes | 14,376 | 100.0 | ||
Other Candidates
- Mike Darling (Independent), personal finance analyst
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Jim Oberstar (incumbent) | 210,094 | 67.9 | |
| Republican | Bob Lemen | 79,890 | 25.8 | |
| Independent | Mike Darling | 19,667 | 6.4 | |
| Total votes | 309,651 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||