United States presidential election in Minnesota, 2008

United States presidential election in Minnesota, 2008

November 4, 2008

Nominee Barack Obama John McCain Party Democratic Republican Home state Illinois Arizona Running mate Joe Biden Sarah Palin Electoral vote 10 0 Popular vote 1,573,354 1,275,409 Percentage 54.1% 43.8%

County Results   Obama—60-70%   Obama—50-60%   Obama—<50%   McCain—<50%   McCain—50-60%

President before election George W. Bush Republican Elected President Barack Obama Democratic

Elections in Minnesota
General elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
Federal elections Presidential elections 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Senate elections Class 1 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 Class 2 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2020 House of Representatives elections 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
State executive elections Gubernatorial elections 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 Secretary of State elections 2010 2014 2018 State Auditor elections 2006 2010 2014 2018 Attorney General elections 2010 2014 2018
State legislative elections Senate elections 1976 1980 1982 1986 1990 1992 1996 2000 2002 2006 2010 2012 2016 2020 House of Representatives elections 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 Special elections Senate House of Representatives
Ballot questions 2012 Amendment 1 Amendment 2
Minneapolis General elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 Mayoral elections 2009 2013 2017 City Council elections 2009 2013 2017 Board of Estimate and Taxation elections 2009 2013 Park and Recreation Board elections 2009 2013
Saint Paul Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013

The 2008 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 4, 2008 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose 10 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.

Minnesota was won by Democratic nominee Barack Obama by a 10.2% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise considered as a safe blue state. Barack Obama carried the state with 54.06% of the vote in 2008 over John McCain's 43.82%. Minnesota has not voted Republican since Richard Nixon in 1972.

Caucuses

• Minnesota Democratic caucuses, 2008
• Minnesota Republican caucuses, 2008

Campaign

Predictions

There were 17 news organizations who made state by state predictions of the election. Here are the last predictions before election day:

1. D.C. Political Report: Democrat^[1]
2. Cook Political Report: Leaning Democrat^[2]
3. Takeaway: Solid Obama^[3]
4. Election Projection: Solid Obama^[4]
5. Electoral-vote.com: Strong Democrat^[5]
6. Washington Post: Leaning Obama^[6]
7. Politico: Solid Obama^[7]
8. Real Clear Politics: Solid Obama^[8]
9. FiveThirtyEight.com: Solid Obama^[6]
10. CQ Politics: Leaning Democrat^[9]
11. New York Times: Leaning Democrat^[10]
12. CNN: Leaning Democrat^[11]
13. NPR: Solid Obama^[6]
14. MSNBC: Solid Obama^[6]
15. Fox News: Democrat^[12]
16. Associated Press: Democrat^[13]
17. Rasmussen Reports: Safe Democrat^[14]

Polling

In the aftermath of the GOP National Convention that was highlighted by a well delivered and received speech by vice presidential nominee Governor Sarah Palin, a strong Obama lead tightened into a very narrow polling lead. However, when the September financial crisis irreparably damaged McCain's chances at victory, McCain remained competitive in Minnesota for some time after Obama had pulled away in other states such as Michigan and Wisconsin. At no time, however, did polls indicate that John McCain was ahead in the state, and Obama eventually did pull away from John McCain.^[15]

Fundraising

John McCain raised a total of $2,423,705 in the state. Barack Obama raised $6,058,168.^[16]

Advertising and visits

Obama and his interest groups $3,006,784. McCain and his interest groups spent 4,467,107.^[17] The Republican ticket visited the state 9 times. Obama visited the state only once.^[18]

Analysis

Although Minnesota, a Democratic-leaning state, had voted for the Democratic presidential candidate of every election since 1972, the margin of victory had been narrow in the past two presidential elections. With this in mind, Republicans targeted the state for the 2008 election, holding the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Although the state swung more Democratic in 2008 and Barack Obama performed better here than John Kerry did in 2004, the swing was smaller than the national average.

During the same election, a contentious U.S. Senate battle took place between incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. The close election resulted in two court appeals, which both eventually declared Franken the winner, which caused Coleman to concede. At the state level, Democrats picked up two seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives and one seat in the Minnesota Senate.

On Election Day, Obama won Minnesota by a comfortable margin, piling up 2-1 margins in Hennepin County (Minneapolis) and Ramsey County (St. Paul). Obama also ran evenly in the Minneapolis suburbs and rural Minnesota. However, McCain mostly held the same counties Bush won in the Republican base of central Minnesota.^[19] While Obama still won the state with ease, GOP efforts and the Republican National Convention led to a better Republican performance than seen in neighboring states in the Upper Midwest, and prevented the collapse of Republican support that occurred in neighboring Michigan and Wisconsin.

Results

Results breakdown

By congressional district

Barack Obama carried five of the state’s eight congressional districts in Minnesota, including one seat held by a Republican. John McCain carried three congressional districts, including one seat held by a Democrat.

Electors

Technically the voters of Minnesota heir ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Minnesota is allocated 10 electors because it has 8 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 10 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 10 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for President and Vice President. Following an apparent mishap in the previous election, whereby an elector pledged to Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry instead cast their vote for running-mate John Edwards and thus became a faithless elector, Minnesota amended its statutes and became one of the few states whereby electors are legally required to vote for the candidate they are pledged to. This was the first election where the new laws were effective.^[21]

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 15, 2008 to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 10 were pledged to Barack Obama and Joe Biden:^[22]

1. Arthur A. Anderson
2. Jim Gremmels
3. Dave Lee
4. Al Patton
5. Joan M. Wittman
6. William J. Davis
7. Benjamin F. Gross
8. Matt Little
9. Jackie Stevenson
10. Susan Kay Moravec - replaced Donyta J. Wright who did not appear for the ceremony ^[23]

References

Elections in Minnesota
General elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
State elections Executive elections Gubernatorial elections 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 Secretary of State elections 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 State Auditor elections 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Attorney General elections 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Legislative elections Senate elections 1976 1980 1982 1986 1990 1992 1996 2000 2002 2006 2010 2012 2016 2020 House of Representatives elections 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 Ballot questions 2012 Amendment 1 Amendment 2 Special elections Senate House of Representatives
Federal elections Presidential elections 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Senate elections Class 1 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 Class 2 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2020 House of Representatives elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
Municipal elections Minneapolis General elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 Mayoral elections 2009 2013 2017 City Council elections 2009 2013 2017 Board of Estimate and Taxation elections 2009 2013 Park and Recreation Board elections 2009 2013 Saint Paul Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013

State results of the United States presidential election, 2008
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