2018 United States Senate special election in Minnesota

The 2018 United States Senate special election in Minnesota took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a United States senator from Minnesota to replace incumbent Democratic senator Al Franken until the regular expiration of the term on January 3, 2021. Facing multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, Franken announced on December 7, 2017, that he would resign effective January 2, 2018. Governor Mark Dayton appointed Franken's successor, Tina Smith, on December 13, 2017, and she ran in the special election. This election coincided with a regularly scheduled U.S. Senate election for the Class 1 Senate seat, U.S. House elections, a gubernatorial election, State House elections, and other elections.

The candidate filing deadline was June 5, 2018, and the primary election was held on August 14, 2018. Smith won the Democratic primary and defeated Republican nominee Karin Housley in the general election.

Nominated

 * Tina Smith, incumbent U.S. Senator

Eliminated in primary

 * Ali Chehem
 * Gregg A. Iverson, perennial candidate
 * Nick Leonard, attorney and activist
 * Richard Painter, University of Minnesota Law School professor and former White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush
 * Christopher Lovell Seymore Sr.

Declined

 * Scott Dibble, state senator
 * Keith Ellison, U.S. Representative (running for Minnesota Attorney General)
 * Melisa Franzen, state senator
 * Betty McCollum, U.S. Representative (running for reelection)
 * Rick Nolan, U.S. Representative (running for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota)
 * Collin Peterson, U.S. Representative (running for reelection)
 * Jake Sullivan, former National Security Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden
 * Lori Swanson, Attorney General of Minnesota (running for governor)
 * Patricia Torres Ray, state senator (running for MN-5)
 * Tim Walz, U.S. Representative (running for Governor)

Nominated

 * Karin Housley, state senator

Eliminated in primary

 * Bob Anderson, businessman
 * Nikolay Nikolayevich Bey

Declined

 * Sarah Anderson, Minnesota state representative
 * Michele Bachmann, former U.S. Representative
 * Michelle Benson, state senator
 * Christopher Chamberlin (running for MN-05)
 * Norm Coleman, former U.S. Senator (endorsed Karin Housley)
 * Kurt Daudt, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
 * Tom Emmer, U.S. Representative (endorsed Karin Housley)
 * Paul Gazelka, Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate
 * Pete Hegseth, veteran, Fox News Contributor and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012
 * Amy Koch, former Minnesota state senator
 * Jason Lewis, U.S. Representative
 * Mike Lindell, CEO of My Pillow
 * Jenifer Loon, state representative (endorsed Karin Housley)
 * Stewart Mills III, businessman and nominee for MN-08 in 2014 and 2016
 * Erik Paulsen, U.S. Representative
 * Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota (ran for governor, lost)
 * Joyce Peppin, Majority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives
 * Julie Rosen, Minnesota state senator

Candidates

 * Jerry Trooien (independent), real estate developer
 * Sarah Wellington (Legal Marijuana Now Party)

Predictions
^Highest rating given

Results
Smith won the election by 10.62 percentage points. Her margin was similar to that of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tim Walz, who defeated his Republican opponent by 11.41%. Both of those margins of victory were much smaller than that of senior Senator Amy Klobuchar, who on the same day defeated her Republican opponent by 24.1 points. Smith won by huge margins in the Democratic strongholds of Hennepin County and Ramsey County, home of Minneapolis and St. Paul respectively. She also managed a 10% margin of victory in suburban Dakota County, just outside Minneapolis, and won St. Louis County, home of Duluth. Housley won most of the state's rural areas. Turnout was high for a midterm election, with over 63% of registered voters in Minnesota casting ballots. [[file:2018 United States Senate special election in Minnesota results map by precinct.svg|thumb|right|300px|Results by precinct Map legend

{{legend|#a5b0ff|Smith—40–50%}}

{{legend|#7996e2|Smith—50–60%}}

{{legend|#6674de|Smith—60–70%}}

{{legend|#584cde|Smith—70–80%}}

{{legend|#3933e5|Smith—80–90%}}

{{legend|#0d0596|Smith—90–100%}}

{{legend|#ffb2b2|Housley–40–50%}}

{{legend|#e27f7f|Housley–50–60%}}

{{legend|#d75d5d|Housley–60–70%}}

{{legend|#d72f30|Housley–70–80%}}

{{legend|#c21b18|Housley–80–90%}}

{{legend|#a80000|Housley–90–100%}}

{{legend|#b3b3b3|No Vote}}]]

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Aitkin (largest municipality: Aitkin)
 * Lincoln (largest municipality: Tyler)
 * Pine (largest city: Pine City)
 * Fillmore (largest city: Spring Valley)
 * Freeborn (largest city: Albert Lea)
 * Itasca (largest city: Grand Rapids)
 * Chippewa (largest city: Montevideo)
 * Grant (largest city: Elbow Lake)
 * Houston (largest city: La Crescent)
 * Kanabec (largest city: Mora)
 * Kandiyohi (largest city: Willmar)
 * Le Sueur (largest city: Le Sueur)
 * Marshall (largest city: Warren)
 * Mille Lacs (largest city: Princeton)
 * Pennington (largest city: Thief River Falls)
 * Polk (largest city: East Grand Forks)
 * Pope (largest city: Glenwood)
 * Red Lake (largest city: Red Lake Falls)
 * Renville (largest city: Olivia)
 * Lac qui Parle (largest city: Madison)
 * Big Stone (largest city: Ortonville)
 * Swift (largest city: Benson)
 * Stevens (largest city: Morris)
 * Traverse (largest city: Wheaton)
 * Wabasha (largest city: Lake City)
 * Waseca (largest city: Waseca)
 * Watonwan (largest city: St. James)
 * Yellow Medicine (largest city: Granite Falls)

By congressional district
Smith won four of Minnesota's eight congressional districts. Housley won the other four, including one that elected a Democrat.