2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota
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The 2002 congressional elections in Minnesota, were held on November 5, 2002, to determine who would represent the state, in the United States House of Representative.
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November 5, 2002
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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, and the 2002 congressional election was the first held pursuant to the apportionment made according to the 2000 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 108th Congress from January 3, 2003, until January 3, 2005. The election coincided with a U.S. Senate election and a gubernatorial election. DFLer Bill Luther, formerly of the 6th congressional district, who was redistricted into the 2nd congressional district, was the only incumbent in Minnesota's House delegation who failed to win reelection.
Overview
Statewide
| Party | Candidates | Votes[1] | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | +/– | % | |||
| Democratic-Farmer-Labor | 8 | 1,097,911 | 49.87 | 4 |  1 |
50.00 | |
| Republican | 8 | 1,029,612 | 46.76 | 4 |  1 |
50.00 | |
| Green | 3 | 37,708 | 1.71 | 0 |  |
0.0 | |
| Independence | 1 | 21,484 | 0.98 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Other | 1 | 12,430 | 0.56 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Write-in | 8 | 2,493 | 0.11 | 0 | |
0.0 | |
| Total | 29 | 2,201,638 | 100.0 | 8 | |
100.0 | |
By district
Results of the 2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota by district:
| District | Democratic | Republican | Others | Total | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 1 | 92,165 | 34.65% | 163,570 | 61.50% | 10,247 | 3.85% | 265,982 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 2 | 121,121 | 42.22% | 152,970 | 53.33% | 12,769 | 4.45% | 286,860 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 3 | 82,575 | 27.88% | 213,334 | 72.02% | 309 | 0.10% | 296,218 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 4 | 164,597 | 62.22% | 89,705 | 33.91% | 10,238 | 3.87% | 264,540 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 5 | 171,572 | 67.03% | 66,271 | 25.89% | 18,139 | 7.09% | 255,982 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 6 | 100,738 | 35.06% | 164,747 | 57.34% | 21,827 | 7.60% | 287,312 | 100.0% | Republican gain |
| District 7 | 170,234 | 65.27% | 90,342 | 34.64% | 237 | 0.09% | 260,813 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 8 | 194,909 | 68.65% | 88,673 | 31.23% | 349 | 0.12% | 283,931 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| Total | 1,097,911 | 49.87% | 1,029,612 | 46.76% | 74,115 | 3.37% | 2,201,638 | 100.0% | |
District 1
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 Precinct results Gutknecht: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Andreasen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% >90% Tie: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||
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After redistricting the new 1st district was made of approximately 75% from the old 1st with 25% from the old 2nd. Incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht, who had represented the district since 1995, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 56.4% of the vote in 2000.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Gil Gutknecht, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gil Gutknecht (Incumbent) | 25,978 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 25,978 | 100.0 | ||
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Steve Andreasen, former Director for Defense Policy and Arms Control on the U.S. National Security Council (1993–2001).
Withdrawn
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Steve Andreasen | 19,394 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 19,394 | 100.0 | ||
Green primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Gregory Mikkelson, small business owner and farmer[4]
Results
General election
Campaign
The major issues of the campaign included the Iraq War, agriculture, and medical care.[5][6]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] | Safe R | November 4, 2002 |
| New York Times[8] | Safe R | October 14, 2002 |
Results
Gutknecht easily won a fifth term, defeating second-place Pomeroy by a landslide 26.85 percent margin, as Mikkelson finished at a very distant third.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gil Gutknecht (Incumbent) | 163,570 | 61.5 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Steve Andreasen | 92,165 | 34.7 | |
| Green | Gregory Mikkelson | 9,964 | 3.8 | |
| Write-in | 283 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 265,982 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Finances
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gil Gutknecht (R) | $894,474 | $770,207 | $187,252 |
| Steve Andreasen (DFL) | $123,540 | $123,064 | $477 |
| Gregory Mikkelson (G) | $17,285 | $16,761 | $521 |
District 2
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 Precinct results Kline: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Luther: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Tie: 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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During the reapportionment that occurred in consequence of the 2000 United States census, the old 2nd district was broken up with the largest portion being transferred to the redrawn 7th. The new 2nd was based in the southern metro area and comprised approximately 41% from the old 6th, 22% from the old 2nd, 22% from the old 1st, 14% from the old 3rd and 1% from the old 4th.
Incumbent Republican Mark Kennedy, whose residence in Watertown remained in the 2nd decided to transfer to the new 6th.[9]
Bill Luther, the incumbent Democrat from the old 6th district opted to transfer to the new 2nd, despite his home in Stillwater remaining in the 6th, in order to avoid a match up with Kennedy.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John Kline, retired United States Marine Corps Colonel and nominee for the 6th district in 1998 & 2000
Declined
- Mark Kennedy, incumbent U.S. Representative (running in the 6th district)[10]
- Steve Sviggum, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives[10]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Kline | 22,596 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 22,596 | 100.0 | ||
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bill Luther, incumbent U.S. Representative from the 6th district[11]
Declined
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Bill Luther (Incumbent) | 14,437 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 14,437 | 100.0 | ||
Other Candidates
General election
Campaign
Luther, who was first elected to Congress in 1994, was unchallenged in the DFL primary. However, in the general election against Republican challenger John Kline, the more conservative composition of the new district worked against him. Luther's campaign was further harmed by political fallout that was created when Samuel Garst, a Luther campaign staffer, entered the race on the "No New Taxes" line in an attempt to use a false flag to split the conservative vote.[12][13][14][15]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] | Lean R | November 4, 2002 |
| New York Times[8] | Tossup | October 14, 2002 |
Results
In the end, Garst was only able to secure 4.3 percent of the vote, and the political damage to Luther contributed to Kline winning the election by a margin of more than 11 percent.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Kline | 152,970 | 53.3 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Bill Luther (Incumbent) | 121,121 | 42.2 | |
| No New Taxes | Samuel Garst | 12,430 | 4.3 | |
| Write-in | 339 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 286,860 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Finances
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Kline (R) | $1,553,133 | $1,535,405 | $50,091 | |
| Bill Luther (DFL) | $2,485,486 | $3,538,110 | $41,588 | |
| Samuel Garst (NNT) | Unreported | |||
District 3
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 Precinct results Ramstad: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Stanton: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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After redistricting the new 3rd district was made of approximately 87% from the old 3rd with 10% from the old 6th and 3% from the 5th. Incumbent Republican Jim Ramstad, who had represented the district since 1991, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 67.6% of the vote in 2000
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jim Ramstad, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Ramstad (Incumbent) | 26,275 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 26,275 | 100.0 | ||
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Darryl Stanton, entrepreneur, inventor and candidate for this seat in 2000
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Darryl Stanton | 14,837 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 14,837 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] | Safe R | November 4, 2002 |
| New York Times[8] | Safe R | October 14, 2002 |
Results
Ramstad won election to his seventh term in Congress, by a landslide 44.14 percent margin.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Ramstad (Incumbent) | 213,334 | 72.0 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Darryl Stanton | 82,575 | 27.9 | |
| Write-in | 309 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 296,218 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Finances
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Ramstad (R) | $1,040,631 | $794,180 | $891,541 | |
| Darryl Stanton (D) | Unreported | |||
District 4
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 Precinct results McCollum: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Billington: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The district was largely unaffected by the redistricting with the new 4th district was made of approximately 92% from the old 4th with 8% from the old 6th. Incumbent Democrat Betty McCollum, who had represented the district since 2001, ran for re-election. She was elected with 48.0% of the vote in 2000.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Betty McCollum, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Betty McCollum (Incumbent) | 30,878 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 30,878 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Clyde Billington, history professor at University of Northwestern – St. Paul and chair of the 4th District Republican Party.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Clyde Billington | 14,052 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 14,052 | 100.0 | ||
Independence primary
Candidates
Withdrawn
- Peter Vento, Antique store owner and son of former U.S. Representative Bruce Vento[16][17]
Green primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Scott Raskiewicz, substitute public school teacher
Results
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] | Safe D | November 4, 2002 |
| New York Times[8] | Safe D | October 14, 2002 |
Results
Defeating Billington by a comfortable 28 percent margin, McCollum easily won her second term in Congress, as Raskiewicz finished a very distant third.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Betty McCollum (Incumbent) | 164,597 | 62.2 | |
| Republican | Clyde Billington | 89,705 | 33.9 | |
| Green | Scott Raskiewicz | 9,919 | 3.8 | |
| Write-in | 319 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 264,540 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
Finances
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betty McCollum (DFL) | $736,337 | $699,558 | $143,546 | |
| Clyde Billington (R) | $87,613 | $87,612 | $0 | |
| Scott Raskiewicz (G) | Unreported | |||
District 5
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 Precinct results Sabo: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Mathias: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Martin Olav Sabo, who had represented the district since 1979, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 69.2% of the vote in 2000.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Martin Olav Sabo, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Martin Olav Sabo (Incumbent) | 33,310 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 33,310 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Daniel Mathias, courier driver and part time college professor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Daniel Nielsen Mathias | 9,947 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 9,947 | 100.0 | ||
Green primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Tim Davis, environmental activist and nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1994 and for U.S. Senate in 1996
Results
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] | Safe D | November 4, 2002 |
| New York Times[8] | Safe D | October 14, 2002 |
Results
Sabo had no difficulty winning his 13th term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Daniel Nielsen Mathias by a margin of just over 41 percent, while Green candidate Tim Davis finished a distant third.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Martin Olav Sabo (Incumbent) | 171,572 | 67.0 | |
| Republican | Daniel Mathias | 66,271 | 25.9 | |
| Green | Tim Davis | 17,825 | 7.0 | |
| Write-in | 314 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 255,982 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
Finances
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Olav Sabo (DFL) | $463,831 | $507,209 | $162,110 | |
| Dan Mathias (R) | $9,699 | $13,409 | $21 | |
| Tim Davis (G) | Unreported | |||
District 6
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 Precinct results Kennedy: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Robert: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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In the reapportionment that occurred in consequence of the 2000 United States census, the old 6th was effectively split into two main parts, with approximately 50% forming the core of the redrawn seat and the next largest portion (around 41%) becoming part of the new 2nd. The new 6th also contained 24% from the old 7th, 14% from the 2nd, 10% from the 8th and 3% from the 3rd.
Incumbent Democrat Bill Luther, who had represented the district since 1995, opted to move to the new 2nd and run for re-election there, after Mark Kennedy, the incumbent Republican from the old 2nd, decided to contest the redrawn 6th.[10]
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Janet Robert, attorney and former Oak Park Heights City Council member
Declined
- Bill Luther, incumbent U.S. Representative (running in the 2nd district)[11]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Janet Robert | 16,204 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 16,204 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Mark Kennedy, incumbent U.S. Representative from the 2nd district[10]
Withdrawn
- David Reichow, consultant[10]
Declined
- Rod Grams, former U.S. Senator[10]
- Dave Kleis, state senator[10]
- Dan Stevens, state senator (running in the 7th district)[10]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Kennedy (Incumbent) | 22,239 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 22,239 | 100.0 | ||
Independence primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Dan Becker, state-licensed drug and alcohol counselor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | Dan Becker | 2,199 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 2,199 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Campaign
Corporate ethics became a major theme of the campaign with both Kennedy and Robert running attack ads linking the other to lawsuits involving companies they had worked for.[18][19][20]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] | Lean R (flip) | November 4, 2002 |
| New York Times[8] | Safe R (flip) | October 14, 2002 |
Results
Kennedy, who was first elected in 2000, encountered little difficulty in winning his second term in Congress, defeating DFL challenger Janet Robert by a landslide margin of 22.28 percent, while Independence Party candidate Dan Becker finished a distant third.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Kennedy (Incumbent) | 164,747 | 57.3 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Janet Robert | 100,738 | 35.1 | |
| Independence | Dan Becker | 21,484 | 7.5 | |
| Write-in | 343 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 287,312 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | ||||
Finances
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janet Robert (D) | $2,180,560 | $2,178,467 | $2,092 |
| Mark Kennedy (R) | $1,901,227 | $1,844,908 | $24,932 |
| Daniel Becker (I) | $8,493 | $8,489 | $0 |
District 7
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 Precinct results Peterson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Stevens: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Tie: 40–50% 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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Following redistricting approximately 62% from the old 7th remained with 38% from the old 2nd transferring in. Incumbent Democrat Collin Peterson, who had represented the district since 1991, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 68.7% of the vote in 2000.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Collin Peterson, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Collin Peterson (Incumbent) | 35,130 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 35,130 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Withdrawn
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dan Stevens | 29,855 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 29,855 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] | Safe D | November 4, 2002 |
| New York Times[8] | Safe D | October 14, 2002 |
Results
Peterson faced no difficulty winning his 8th term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Dan Stevens by a landslide 30.63 percent margin.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Collin Peterson (Incumbent) | 170,234 | 65.3 | |
| Republican | Dan Stevens | 90,342 | 34.6 | |
| Write-in | 237 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 260,813 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
Finances
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collin Peterson (DFL) | $417,253 | $535,219 | $123,864 |
| Dan Stevens (R) | $209,629 | $201,199 | $8,431 |
District 8
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 Precinct results Oberstar: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Lemen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90% Tie: 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 8th district remained mostly untouched by the redistricting with approximately 91% of the new seat remaining, with 9% added from the old 7th. Incumbent Democrat Jim Oberstar, who had represented the district since 1975, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 67.8% of the vote in 2000.
DFL primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jim Oberstar, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | James L. Oberstar (Incumbent) | 50,582 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 50,582 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Robert N. Lemen, businessman, former state representative and nominee for this seat in 2000
Eliminated in primary
- Warren Nelson, engineering consultant and candidate for this seat in 2000
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Lemen | 13,422 | 50.6 | |
| Republican | Warren Nelson | 13,132 | 49.4 | |
| Total votes | 26,554 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] | Safe D | November 4, 2002 |
| New York Times[8] | Safe D | October 14, 2002 |
Results
Oberstar had no difficulty winning his 15th term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Bob Lemen by a margin of more than 37 percent.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Jim Oberstar (Incumbent) | 194,909 | 68.7 | |
| Republican | Robert Lemen | 88,673 | 31.2 | |
| Write-in | 349 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 283,931 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
Finances
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Oberstar (DFL) | $1,057,294 | $1,030,632 | $75,308 |
| Robert Lemen (R) | $16,349 | $16,887 | $623 |