Minneapolis maintain high voter turnout in record-breaking primary election 

More than a million people in Minnesota voted in the Aug. 11 primary, about 25% of eligible voters. About 35% of Minneapolis voters came out to the polls and the registered voter turn out was close to 42%. 

This was the first time a million Minnesotans have voted in a primary election and voters also broke the record for the most early votes cast in a non-presidential primary. The Minnesota Secretary of State office said it would have been an all-time early voting record if not for the surge in early and absentee voting during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Primary election results

Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s current lieutenant governor, defeated Angie Craig in the U.S. senator primary race. Flanagan received 411,445 (59.02%) votes and Craig received 274,582 (39.39%) votes, statewide. 

Flanagan had a wider margin of a win in Hennepin County with 63.5% of the vote (153,036 votes) compared to Craig’s 35.34% (85,173 votes). 

The win is significant considering Craig and supporting organizations spent $20 million on the race compared to Flanagan’s campaign and supporters spending $4.7 million. 

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (District 5) won her primary against four DFL opponents, winning with 80.71% of the vote (122,640 votes). Julie Trang Le trailed second with 6.71% of the vote (10,201 votes). 

Cedrick Frazier and Anders Folk will move onto the Hennepin County attorney primary election in November. Frazier received 87,447 (35.95%) votes, and Folk received 55,610 (22.86%) votes. The next closest candidate was Diane Krenz with 46,150 (18.97%) votes. 

For the at-large MPS school board race,  the top four vote getters move on to the general election because there are two at-large seats up for election. Christin Crabtree and Colin Beachy with 49,254 votes (38.64%) and Beachy received 43,276 (33.95%) respectively, 

Stephanie Johnson trailed in third with 18,797 votes (14.75%) followed by Michael Baskins with 9,578 votes (7.51%). All four candidates will be on the general election ballot in November.

District 3 County Commission Marion Greene easily won her primary with 24,711 (59.42%) votes. Five other candidates were vying for her seat but the closest candidate was Abdihakim Arabow Ibrahim with 4,398 (10.58%) votes. 

District 2 Hennepin County commissioner and board president Irene Fernando also easily won her primary with 16,500 (55.3% votes). MPS school board member Sharon El Amin received 6,280 (21.05%) votes. 

Are you curious about other primary election results? Check them out on the Secretary of State website. 

The general election will be held on Nov. 3. Early voting will begin Sept. 18.