2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota 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%
Republican
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
Democratic
60–70%
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
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 .
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
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 ※
2002 Minnesota's 1st congressional district election
Precinct resultsGutknecht: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%Andreasen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% >90%Tie: 40–50%
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.
DFL primary ※
Candidates ※
Steve Andreasen, former Director for Defense Policy. And Arms Control on the National Security Council (1993-2001)
Results ※
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic (DFL)
Steve Andreasen
19,394
100.00
Total votes
19,394
100.00
Green primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Green Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Green
Greg Mikkelson
467
100.00
Total votes
467
100.00
Republican primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Republican Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Gil Gutknecht (Incumbent)
25,978
100.00
Total votes
25,978
100.00
General election ※
Results ※
Minnesota's 1st Congressional district election, 2002
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 ※
2002 Minnesota's 2nd congressional district election
Precinct resultsKline: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%Luther: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%Tie: 50%
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.
DFL primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic (DFL)
Bill Luther (Incumbent)
14,437
100.00
Total votes
14,437
100.00
Republican primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Republican Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
John Kline
22,596
100.00
Total votes
22,596
100.00
General election ※
Results ※
Minnesota's 2nd Congressional district election, 2002
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 gain from Democratic (DFL)
District 3 ※
2002 Minnesota's 3rd congressional district election
Precinct resultsRamstad: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%Stanton: 50–60%
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.
DFL primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic (DFL)
Darryl Stanton
14,837
100.00
Total votes
14,837
100.00
Republican primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Republican Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Jim Ramstad (Incumbent)
26,275
100.00
Total votes
26,275
100.00
General election ※
Results ※
Minnesota's 3rd Congressional district election, 2002
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 ※
2002 Minnesota's 4th congressional district election
Precinct resultsMcCollum: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%Billington: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
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.
DFL primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic (DFL)
Betty McCollum (Incumbent)
30,878
100.00
Total votes
30,878
100.00
Green primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Green Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Green
Scott J. Raskiewicz
877
100.00
Total votes
877
100.00
Republican primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Republican Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Clyde Billington
14,052
100.00
Total votes
14,052
100.00
General election ※
Results ※
Minnesota's 4th Congressional district election, 2002
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 ※
2002 Minnesota's 5th congressional district election
Precinct resultsSabo: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%Mathias: 50–60%
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.
DFL primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic (DFL)
Martin Olav Sabo (Incumbent)
33,310
100.00
Total votes
33,310
100.00
Green primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Green Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Green
Tim Davis
1,635
100.00
Total votes
1,635
100.00
Republican primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Republican Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Daniel Nielsen Mathias
9,947
100.00
Total votes
9,947
100.00
General election ※
Results ※
Minnesota's 5th Congressional district election, 2002
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 ※
2002 Minnesota's 6th congressional district election
Precinct resultsKennedy: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%Robert: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
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.
DFL primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic (DFL)
Janet Robert
16,204
100.00
Total votes
16,204
100.00
Independence primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Independence Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Independence
Dan Becker
2,199
100.00
Total votes
2,199
100.00
Republican primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Republican Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Mark R. Kennedy (Incumbent)
22,239
100.00
Total votes
22,239
100.00
General election ※
Results ※
Minnesota's 6th Congressional district election, 2002
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 hold
District 7 ※
2002 Minnesota's 7th congressional district election
Precinct resultsPeterson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%Stevens: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%Tie: 40–50% 50%
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.
DFL primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic (DFL)
Collin C. Peterson (Incumbent)
35,130
100.00
Total votes
35,130
100.00
Republican primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Republican Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Dan Stevens
29,855
100.00
Total votes
29,855
100.00
General election ※
Results ※
Minnesota's 7th Congressional district election, 2002
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 ※
2002 Minnesota's 8th congressional district election
Precinct resultsOberstar: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%Lemen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90%Tie: 50%
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.
DFL primary ※
Candidates ※
Results ※
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic (DFL)
James L. Oberstar (Incumbent)
50,582
100.00
Total votes
50,582
100.00
Republican primary ※
Candidates ※
Bob Lemen
Warren L. Nelson
Results ※
Republican Primary Election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Bob Lemen
13,422
50.55
Republican
Warren L. Nelson
13,132
49.45
Total votes
26,554
100.00
General election ※
Results ※
Minnesota's 8th Congressional district election, 2002
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 ※
U.S. Senate U.S. House Governors State Attorneys General State legislatures Mayors
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