Minnesota Senate
Filing Deadline: July 15, 2008 • Primary Date: Sept. 9, 2008 • General Election: Nov. 4, 2008Incumbent
Norm Coleman (R)
First elected in 2002; seeking second full term; Coleman was nominated with 91% in a two-way primary.
Campaign Web siteOfficial Web site
Almanac profile
NRSC profile
Challenger
Dean Barkley (I)
Barkley, a former interim senator and Minnesota Planning director, was nominated with 59% in a seven-way primary.
Challenger
Al Franken (DFL)
Franken, a satirist, was nominated with 65% in a seven-way primary.
Campaign Web sitePlease send comments or corrections to AlmanacEditorial@nationaljournal.com.
Race Ranking: 8
This race has been within the margin of error for a couple months now, though Norm Coleman seems now to be inching up towards the higher end of that range. Given Al Franken's baggage, and the number of mini-scandals Norm Coleman has had to endure this cycle, this is one of those races where it's amazing that either candidate could actually win.
Ad Spotlight
- Al Franken For Senate: "Dr. Bob" (8/13/08)
- Al Franken For Senate: "Who Does Norm Coleman Work For?" (8/13/08)
- Norm Coleman For Senate: "History" (8/13/08)
- Priscilla Lord Faris For Senate: "Minnesota Values" (8/13/08)
- Priscilla Lord Faris For Senate: "The Candidate" (8/13/08)
Previous Election Results
| 2002 General | Total Votes | Percent | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norm Coleman (R) | 1,116,697 | 50% | $10,035,279 |
| Walter Mondale (DFL) | 1,067,246 | 47% | $1,833,029 |
| 2002 Primary | Total Votes | Percent | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norm Coleman (R) | 195, 630 | 94% | n/a |
| Jack Shepard (R) | 11,678 | 6% | n/a |
| 1996 General | Total Votes | Percent | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Wellstone (DFL) | 1,098,493 | 50% | $7,459,878 |
| Rudy Boschwitz (R) | 901,282 | 41% | $4,385,982 |
| Dean Barkley (Ref) | 152,333 | 7% | $37,240 |
Hotline Coverage
Check out the Hotline's coverage of the Minnesota senate race.
Race Rankings
Based on likelihood of seat switching party control. Updated: 10/31.
1.
Virginia
(Open-R)2.
New Mexico
(Open-R)3.
Colorado
(Open-R)4.
N.H.
(Sununu-R)5.
Alaska
(Stevens-R)6.
North Carolina
(Dole-R)7.
Oregon
(Smith-R)8.
Minnesota
(Coleman-R)9.
Georgia
(Chambliss-R)10.
Louisiana
(Landrieu-D)11.
Mississippi
(Wicker-R)12.
Kentucky
(McConnell-R)13.
Maine
(Collins-R)14.
Texas
(Cornyn-R)15.
New Jersey
(Lautenberg-D)
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