The 2014 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Minnesota, concurrently with the election of the Governor of Minnesota, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor Senator Al Franken ran for re-election to a second term. Primary elections were held on August 12, 2014, in which Franken was renominated and the Republicans picked financial executive Mike McFadden. In the general election, Franken defeated him and Independence Party nominee Steve Carlson and Heather Johnson of the Libertarian Party with 53% of the vote.
Background
Franken challenged incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman in 2008. When the initial count was completed on November 18, Franken was trailing Coleman by 215 votes. This close margin triggered a mandatory recount. After reviewing ballots that had been challenged during the recount and counting 953 wrongly rejected absentee ballots, the State Canvassing Board officially certified the recount results with Franken holding a 225-vote lead.
On January 6, 2009, Coleman's campaign filed an election contest and on April 13, a three-judge panel dismissed Coleman's Notice of Contest and ruled that Franken had won the election by 312 votes. Coleman's appeal of the panel's decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court was unanimously rejected on June 30, and he conceded the election. Franken was sworn in as Minnesota's junior senator on July 7, 2009.
Because Franken's margin of victory was so slim, the seat was initially thought to be a top target for Republicans, but Politico reported in a May 2013 article that Franken's high approval rating, his large war chest, and the Republicans' struggle to find a top-tier candidate meant that Franken was the "heavy favorite" in the 2014 election.
Democratic–Farmer–Labor primary
Candidates
Declared
Al Franken, incumbent U.S. Senator
Sandra Henningsgard
Results
Republican primary
At the Republican State Convention on May 30–31, 2014, after ten ballots, Mike McFadden received the party's endorsement. Chris Dahlberg, Monti Moreno, Julianne Ortman and Phillip Parrish had all sought the endorsement but withdrew in favor of McFadden. Only Jim Abeler continued in the race and contested the August primary against McFadden. David Carlson did not participate in the convention after a dispute with party leadership over nominating petitions. He, Patrick D. Munro and Ole Savior also appeared on the ballot.
Candidates
Declared
Jim Abeler, state representative
David Carlson, veteran and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012
Mike McFadden, financial executive
Patrick D. Munro
Ole Savior, perennial candidate
Withdrew
Chris Dahlberg, St. Louis County commissioner
Monti Moreno, bison farmer, former hair salon owner and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1996 Julianne Ortman, state senator Phillip Parrish, U.S. Navy reservist Harold Shudlick, retired U.S. Army chaplain and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2006 and 2012
Declined
Michele Bachmann, U.S. Representative
Laura Brod, former state representative
Norm Coleman, former U.S. Senator
Chip Cravaack, former U.S. Representative
Bill Guidera, finance chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota
Pete Hegseth, CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, former executive director of Vets For Freedom and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012 John Kline, U.S. Representative Jason Lewis, radio talk show host and political commentator Erik Paulsen, U.S. Representative Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota Rich Stanek, Hennepin County Sheriff
Endorsements
Polling
Republican primary
Results
Independence primary
The Independence Party of Minnesota state convention was held on May 17, 2014, at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Businessman Kevin Terrell won the party's endorsement, but lost the primary to Steve Carlson. Carlson did not ask for an endorsement from the Independence Party and self-identifies with the Tea party. For their part, the Independence Party has disowned Carlson, who has defended Todd Akin's controversial "legitimate rape" comments and said that George Zimmerman "provided a valuable service" by killing Trayvon Martin.