You could be forgiven for wanting to ignore most of the news from this seemingly never-ending election cycle. But the fact is, voting day is coming. If you're just getting up to speed (no judgment here), or if you want to review, here are links to MinnPost’s coverage of some of this year’s most important races. We'll keep this post updated with our coverage in the coming week.
U.S. House
Second district
Longtime GOP Rep. John Kline’s retirement put this seat in play, with some analysts saying the district now favors Democrats. The DFL nominated Angie Craig, a former medical device executive, to contest the seat; Republicans picked former radio talk show host Jason Lewis.
- Is Jason Lewis closing the gap in the Second District?
- Second District race: What it would mean to elect a former medical device executive to Congress
- It's Jason Lewis vs. Angie Craig in what’s likely to be one of the most-watched congressional races in the country
Third district
In any normal year, Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen would be skating toward an easy re-election in this wealthy district, which includes the western suburbs of Minneapolis. But Donald Trump’s vast unpopularity here helped convince a strong DFL challenger, state Sen. Terri Bonoff, to challenge Paulsen for the seat.
- Trumpless Zone: Erik Paulsen runs on tax reform, consensus building — and away from his party’s presidential nominee
- 3rd District race between Paulsen and Bonoff may come down to who’s the real moderate
- After Trump’s disastrous weekend, is Erik Paulsen in trouble?
- Can Paul Ryan save Erik Paulsen from Donald Trump?
- Could Minnesota’s 3rd District elect a Democrat? Here's what the data say
Eighth district
It’s rematch season in northern Minnesota, with Stewart Mills again taking on Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan. Considered one of the most competitive House races in the entire country, the campaign has been marked by personal acrimony and is attracting among the highest amounts of spending by outside groups.
- What Stewart Mills’ biggest business success says about how he might work in Congress
- Eighth District race attracts third highest outside spending in the nation
- International affairs in International Falls: Why foreign policy is playing an outsize role in the 8th District campaign
- Nolan-Mills Part Deux: This time, it’s personal. (Well, it was pretty personal last time, too.)
- Stewart Mills is taking on Rick Nolan again — so what’s different this time?
Minnesota Legislature
All 134 state representatives and 67 state senators are up for election this year. Republicans are hoping to build on their success in 2014, when they captured the Minnesota House, by retaking the state Senate — a feat requiring a net gain of six seats. Meanwhile, Democrats are hoping to regain the House — which would give them control of both houses of the legislature and the governor’s seat; to do so, they’ll need to pick up a net of seven seats.
- The 29 legislative races to watch in Minnesota in 2016
- What's at stake in this year's legislative races
- With no statewide contests, Minnesota's competitive congressional races are shaping the battle for the Legislature
- The big themes of political mailers in Minnesota: MNsure, pay raises and ‘Twin Cities liberals’
- Where all that political money is being spent in Minnesota
- What it’s really like to run for the Minnesota Legislature
- What legislative candidates talk about when they talk about Trump
- Could Southwest Light Rail decide who controls the Minnesota Legislature?
Other races
Constitutional amendment
All Minnesota ballots will feature a proposed constitutional amendment that would create an independent commission to set the pay for state legislators. Currently, legislators are responsible for setting their own pay.
Minneapolis School Board
There are school board elections in three Minneapolis districts — 3, 4 and 6 — as well as one at-large seat, which is a citywide election.
- 8 candidates, 4 seats: A preview of the Minneapolis school board race
- Minneapolis school board forum pushes candidates to explain plans to address racial disparities
- District 4: Civility reigns in Reimnitz-Walser race for Minneapolis school board seat
- District 6: Jourdain vs. Asberry: School-board candidates put endorsements to the test in southwest Minneapolis
Judicial elections
The highest-profile contested judicial race in Minnesota is for the Supreme Court. Natalie Hudson, appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2015, will seek the ratification of voters in the face of a challenge from attorney Michelle MacDonald.
