A Minnesota presidential primary has been held six times: 1916, 1952, 1956, 1992, 2020 and 2024. The state of

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

has normally held presidential caucuses instead. On May 22, 2016, Minnesota Governor

Mark Dayton Mark Brandt Dayton (born January 26, 1947) is an American politician who served as the List of governors of Minnesota, 40th governor of Minnesota from 2011 to 2019. He served as a United States Senate, United States Senator representing Minneso ...

signed a bill that reinstated a presidential primary starting in 2020.

1916

The first Minnesota presidential primary was held on Tuesday, March 14, 1916. Along with the Democratic and Republican parties, the

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a Political parties in the United States, political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movemen ...

also held a primary. The Progressive Party (Bull Moose) was eligible to hold an election but no candidates filed.

Winners

*Democratic Party:

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

*Prohibition Party:

William Sulzer William Sulzer (March 18, 1863 – November 6, 1941), nicknamed Plain Bill, was an American lawyer and politician. He was the 39th governor of New York serving for 10 months in 1913, and a long-serving U.S. representative from the same state. Su ...

*Republican Party: Albert B. Cummins

1952

The second Minnesota presidential primary was held on Tuesday, March 18, 1952.

Winners

*Democratic Farmer Labor Party:

Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American politician who served from 1965 to 1969 as the 38th vice president of the United States. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Minnesota from 19 ...

" favorite son candidate" *Republican Party:

Harold Stassen Harold Edward Stassen (April 13, 1907 – March 4, 2001) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician, military officer, and attorney who was the List of governors of Minnesota, 25th governor of Minnesota from 193 ...

1956

The third Minnesota presidential primary was held on Tuesday, March 20, 1956. The primary may have had a major role in the end of the political career of Coya Knutson, the first woman elected Representative from

. To win a possible vice presidential nomination for its rising star,

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

the Democratic Farmer Labor Party attempted to ensure that Stevenson would win the Minnesota primary. However Knutson endorsed and campaigned on behalf of

Estes Kefauver Carey Estes Kefauver ( ; July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 to 1949 and in the U.S. Senate from 1949 until h ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, believing his agricultural policy positions would be more beneficial to her constituents. In part due to Knutson's efforts, Kefauver won the Primary; as a result, when Stevenson was ultimately nominated, Kefauver was chosen as his running mate. In a letter signed by Knutson's husband that was published by newspapers under the headline Coya Come Home helping to defeat Knutson's re-election. It has been alleged that either DFL state leadership or local operatives wrote the letter and bribed Knutson's husband to sign it, in revenge for denying Humphrey a shot at the 1956 vice presidential nomination.

Winners

*Democratic Farmer Labor Party:

*Republican Party:

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

1992

The fourth Minnesota presidential primary was held on Tuesday, April 7, 1992. The closed primary was binding for the Independent Republican Party, but for the Democratic Farmer Labor Party it was only a "beauty contest" as the DFL awarded its delegates at March 3 caucuses to Senator

Tom Harkin Thomas Richard Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Iowa from 1985 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Pa ...

of Iowa.

Winners

*Democratic Farmer Labor Party:

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

*Independent Republican Party:

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

2020

The fifth Minnesota presidential primary was held on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. However, controversy over the

Republican Party of Minnesota The Republican Party of Minnesota is the state affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party in Minnesota and the oldest active political party in the state. Founded in 1855, the party is headquartered in Edina, Minnesota, E ...

excluding challengers to incumbent president

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

sparked a legal challenge by James Martin, a voter, and

Rocky De La Fuente Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente Guerra (born October 10, 1954) is an American businessman who has sought elected office. A perennial candidate, De La Fuente was the Reform Party nominee in the 2016 and 2020 United States presidential elections; he a ...

, a presidential candidate, jeopardizing the

Minnesota Secretary of State The secretary of state of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch, executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Twenty-two individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. The incumbe ...

from being able to print the ballots for both the Democratic and Republican primary elections. Ultimately, the

Minnesota Supreme Court The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center. History The court was first assemb ...

ordered Minnesota's primary to continue as planned, leaving the incumbent president as Republican voters' only option. Two other major parties, the

Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party The Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party (G–LC) is a political Third party (United States), third party in the U.S. state of Minnesota created by Oliver Steinberg in 2014 to oppose drug prohibition, cannabis prohibition. G–LC is a democratic s ...

and the Legal Marijuana Now Party, did not hold a primary

Winners

*Democratic Farmer Labor Party:

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

*Republican Party:

2024

The sixth Minnesota presidential primary was held on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. In this primary, the Legal Marijuana Now Party joined alongside Democratic and Republican at the same time, and also on

Super Tuesday Super Tuesday is the United States presidential primary election day in February or March when the greatest number of U.S. states hold primary elections and caucuses. Approximately one-third of all delegates to the presidential nominatin ...

Winners

* Democratic Farmer Labor Party:

* Republican Party:

* Legal Marijuana Now Party: Krystal Gabel

References

{{reflist

External links

includes 1916 results1952 results1956 results1992 results2020 results
+Primary