2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota

The 2002 congressional elections in Minnesota were held on November 5, 2002 to determine who would represent the state of Minnesota in the United States House of Representatives.

2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota
November 5, 2002 (2002-11-05)
All 8 Minnesota seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic (DFL) Republican
Last election 5 seats, 52.21% 3 seats, 42.02%
Seats before 5 3
Seats won 4 4
Seat change 1 1
Popular vote 1,097,911 1,029,612
Percentage 49.87% 46.76%
Swing 2.34% 4.74%
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Map of Minnesota showing all eight districts, as apportioned for Representatives elected in the elections of 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010
Map of Minnesota showing all eight districts, as apportioned for Representatives elected in the elections of 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000

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
United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2002 [1]
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Democratic-Farmer-Labor 1,097,911 49.87% 4 -1
Republican 1,029,612 46.76% 4 +1
Green 37,708 1.71% 0 —
Independence 21,484 0.98% 0 —
Others 14,923 0.68% 0 —
Totals 2,201,638 100.00% 8 —

District 1
See also: Minnesota's 1st congressional district

Incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht, who had represented Minnesota's 1st congressional district since 1994, ran against Steve Andreasen of the DFL and Greg Mikkelson of the Green Party. 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.

Candidates
  • Steve Andreasen, former Director for Defense Policy and Arms Control on the National Security Council (1993-2001)

Results
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Steve Andreasen 19,394 100.00
Total votes 19,394 100.00

Candidates
  • Greg Mikkelson

Results
Green Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Green Greg Mikkelson 467 100.00
Total votes 467 100.00

Candidates

Results
Republican Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gil Gutknecht (Incumbent) 25,978 100.00
Total votes 25,978 100.00

Results
Minnesota's 1st Congressional district election, 2002 [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gil Gutknecht (Incumbent) 163,570 61.50
Democratic (DFL) Steve Andreasen 92,165 34.65
Green Greg Mikkelson 9,964 3.75
Write-In Others 283 0.11
Total votes 265,982 100.00
Republican hold

District 2
See also: Minnesota's 2nd congressional district

In the reapportionment that occurred in consequence of the 2000 United States Census, Mark Kennedy, the incumbent Republican from the Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, was redistricted into the 6th congressional district, while Bill Luther, the incumbent DFLer from the 6th congressional district was redistricted into the 2nd congressional district. Thus, Luther was forced to run in the new congressional district 2 in the 2002 election, while Kennedy ran in the new congressional district 6.

Luther, who was first elected to Congress in 1994, was unchallenged in the DFL primary. However, in the general election race against Republican challenger John Kline, the more conservative composition of the new district worked against Luther. 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. In the end, Garst was only able to secure 4.33 percent of the vote, and the political damage to Luther contributed to Kline winning the election by a margin of more than 11 percent.

Candidates

Results
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Bill Luther (Incumbent) 14,437 100.00
Total votes 14,437 100.00

Candidates

Results
Republican Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Kline 22,596 100.00
Total votes 22,596 100.00

Results
Minnesota's 2nd Congressional district election, 2002 [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Kline 152,970 53.33
Democratic (DFL) Bill Luther (Incumbent) 121,121 42.22
No New Taxes Samuel D. Garst 12,430 4.33
Write-In Others 339 0.12
Total votes 286,860 100.00
Republican hold

District 3
See also: Minnesota's 3rd congressional district

Incumbent Republican Jim Ramstad, who was first elected in 1990, defeated DFL challenger Darryl Stanton, and won election to his seventh term in Congress, by a landslide 44.14 percent margin.

Candidates
  • Darryl Stanton

Results
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Darryl Stanton 14,837 100.00
Total votes 14,837 100.00

Candidates

Results
Republican Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Ramstad (Incumbent) 26,275 100.00
Total votes 26,275 100.00

Results
Minnesota's 3rd Congressional district election, 2002 [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Ramstad (Incumbent) 213,334 72.02
Democratic (DFL) Darryl Stanton 82,575 27.88
Write-In Others 309 0.10
Total votes 296,218 100.00
Republican hold

District 4
See also: Minnesota's 4th congressional district

Incumbent DFLer Betty McCollum, who was first elected in 2000, faced off against Clyde Billington of the Republican Party of Minnesota and Scott J. Raskiewicz of the Green Party of Minnesota. Defeating Billington by a comfortable 28 percent margin, McCollum easily won her second term in Congress, as Raskiewicz finished a very distant third.

Candidates

Results
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Betty McCollum (Incumbent) 30,878 100.00
Total votes 30,878 100.00

Candidates
  • Scott J. Raskiewicz

Results
Green Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Green Scott J. Raskiewicz 877 100.00
Total votes 877 100.00

Candidates
  • Clyde Billington

Results
Republican Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Clyde Billington 14,052 100.00
Total votes 14,052 100.00

Results
Minnesota's 4th Congressional district election, 2002 [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Betty McCollum (Incumbent) 164,597 62.22
Republican Clyde Billington 89,705 33.91
Green Scott J. Raskiewicz 9,919 3.75
Write-In Others 319 0.12
Total votes 264,540 100.00
Democratic (DFL) hold

District 5
See also: Minnesota's 5th congressional district

Incumbent DFLer Martin Sabo, who was first elected in 1978, 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.

Candidates

Results
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Martin Olav Sabo (Incumbent) 33,310 100.00
Total votes 33,310 100.00

Candidates
  • Tim Davis

Results
Green Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Green Tim Davis 1,635 100.00
Total votes 1,635 100.00

Candidates
  • Daniel Nielsen Mathias

Results
Republican Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Daniel Nielsen Mathias 9,947 100.00
Total votes 9,947 100.00

Results
Minnesota's 5th Congressional district election, 2002 [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Martin Olav Sabo (Incumbent) 171,572 67.03
Republican Daniel Nielsen Mathias 66,271 25.89
Green Tim Davis 17,825 6.96
Write-In Others 314 0.12
Total votes 255,982 100.00
Democratic (DFL) hold

District 6
See also: Minnesota's 6th congressional district

In the reapportionment that occurred in consequence of the 2000 United States Census, Mark Kennedy, the incumbent Republican from the Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, was redistricted into the 6th congressional district, while Bill Luther, the incumbent DFLer from the 6th congressional district was redistricted into the 2nd congressional district. Thus, Kennedy was forced to run in the new congressional district 6 in the 2002 election, while Luther ran in the new congressional district 2.

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.

Candidates
  • Janet Robert

Results
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Janet Robert 16,204 100.00
Total votes 16,204 100.00

Candidates
  • Dan Becker

Results
Independence Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independence Dan Becker 2,199 100.00
Total votes 2,199 100.00

Candidates

Results
Republican Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark R. Kennedy (Incumbent) 22,239 100.00
Total votes 22,239 100.00

Results
Minnesota's 6th Congressional district election, 2002 [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark R. Kennedy (Incumbent) 164,747 57.34
Democratic (DFL) Janet Robert 100,738 35.06
Independence Dan Becker 21,484 7.48
Write-In Others 343 0.12
Total votes 287,312 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic (DFL)

District 7
See also: Minnesota's 7th congressional district

Incumbent DFLer Collin Peterson, who was first elected in 1990, faced no difficulty winning his eighth term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Dan Stevens by a landslide 30.63 percent margin.

Candidates

Results
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Collin C. Peterson (Incumbent) 35,130 100.00
Total votes 35,130 100.00

Candidates
  • Dan Stevens

Results
Republican Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dan Stevens 29,855 100.00
Total votes 29,855 100.00

Results
Minnesota's 7th Congressional district election, 2002 [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Collin C. Peterson (Incumbent) 170,234 65.27
Republican Dan Stevens 90,342 34.64
Write-In Others 237 0.09
Total votes 260,813 100.00
Democratic (DFL) hold

District 8
See also: Minnesota's 8th congressional district

Incumbent DFLer Jim Oberstar, who was first elected in 1974, had no difficulty winning his 15th term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Bob Lemen by a margin of more than 37 percent.

Candidates

Results
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) James L. Oberstar (Incumbent) 50,582 100.00
Total votes 50,582 100.00

Candidates
  • Bob Lemen
  • Warren L. Nelson

Results
Republican Primary Election [2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Lemen 13,422 50.55
Republican Warren L. Nelson 13,132 49.45
Total votes 26,554 100.00

Results
Minnesota's 8th Congressional district election, 2002 [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) James L. Oberstar (Incumbent) 194,909 68.65
Republican Bob Lemen 88,673 31.23
Write-In Others 349 0.12
Total votes 283,931 100.00
Democratic (DFL) hold

References
  1. http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/Results/USRepresentative/32
  2. http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/Results/USRepresentative/31
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