2000 United States presidential election in Minnesota
← 1996 November 7, 2000 2004 →
Turnout70.11%[1] Increase
 
Nominee Al Gore George W. Bush Ralph Nader
Party Democratic (DFL) Republican Green
Home state Tennessee Texas Connecticut
Running mate Joe Lieberman Dick Cheney Winona LaDuke
Electoral vote 10 0 0
Popular vote 1,168,266 1,109,659 126,696
Percentage 47.91% 45.50% 5.20%
President before election

Bill Clinton
Democratic

Elected President

George W. Bush
Republican

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The 2000 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 7, 2000, as part of the 2000 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all 50 states and D.C. Voters chose ten representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Minnesota was won by Vice President Al Gore by a 2.39% margin of victory, a much weaker performance than President Bill Clinton had in 1996, when he carried the state with 51% of the vote and a 16% margin of victory. Despite winning the state, Gore lost most of the counties and congressional districts in the state. However, Gore won highly populated counties such as Hennepin County, Ramsey County, and St. Louis County by safe margins. In terms of congressional districts, Gore won three districts including the urban 4th and 5th and won the 8th district with less than fifty percent of the vote. Bush overall dominated the rural areas, located in the western and southern parts of the state, and became the first Republican presidential nominee to win Red Lake County since Warren G. Harding in 1920.[2] Nonetheless, he became the first ever Republican to win the White House without carrying Fillmore County. No Republican has won the state since Richard Nixon in 1972, a Democratic streak longer than any other state.[3]

Gore carried the state by a fairly close margin, largely on the strength of his performance in the Twin Cities metro. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Cook County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[4]

Results

2000 United States presidential election in Minnesota[5]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic (DFL) Al Gore Joe Lieberman 1,168,266 47.91% 10
Republican George W. Bush Dick Cheney 1,109,659 45.50% 0
Green Ralph Nader Winona LaDuke 126,696 5.20% 0
Reform Pat Buchanan Ezola Foster 22,166 0.91% 0
Libertarian Harry Browne Art Olivier 5,282 0.22% 0
Constitution Howard Phillips J. Curtis Frazier 3,272 0.13% 0
Natural Law John Hagelin A. Nat. Goldhaber 2,294 0.09% 0
Socialist Workers James Harris Margaret Trowe 1,022 0.04% 0
Write Ins 28 0.00% 0
Totals 2,438,685 100.00% 10
Voter turnout (Voting age/Registered) 67%/75%

Results by county

County Al Gore
DFL 		George W. Bush
Republican 		Ralph Nader
Green 		Pat Buchanan
Reform 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Aitkin 3,830 46.37% 3,755 45.46% 403 4.88% 220 2.66% 52 0.63% 75 0.91% 8,260
Anoka 68,008 46.70% 69,256 47.56% 6,616 4.54% 1,040 0.71% 699 0.48% -1,248 -0.86% 145,619
Becker 5,253 36.65% 8,152 56.88% 591 4.12% 264 1.84% 73 0.51% -2,899 -20.23% 14,333
Beltrami 7,301 42.41% 8,346 48.48% 1,269 7.37% 211 1.23% 90 0.52% -1,045 -6.07% 17,217
Benton 6,009 40.31% 7,663 51.40% 862 5.78% 278 1.86% 96 0.64% -1,654 -11.09% 14,908
Big Stone 1,430 47.99% 1,370 45.97% 109 3.66% 59 1.98% 12 0.40% 60 2.02% 2,980
Blue Earth 12,329 44.99% 12,942 47.23% 1,761 6.43% 238 0.87% 132 0.48% -613 -2.24% 27,402
Brown 4,650 36.23% 7,370 57.43% 561 4.37% 200 1.56% 53 0.41% -2,720 -21.20% 12,834
Carlton 8,620 57.16% 5,578 36.99% 634 4.20% 183 1.21% 66 0.44% 3,042 20.17% 15,081
Carver 12,462 35.58% 20,790 59.36% 1,381 3.94% 221 0.63% 167 0.48% -8,328 -23.78% 35,021
Cass 5,534 40.71% 7,134 52.48% 663 4.88% 197 1.45% 65 0.48% -1,600 -11.77% 13,593
Chippewa 2,952 46.47% 2,977 46.87% 268 4.22% 113 1.78% 42 0.66% -25 -0.40% 6,352
Chisago 9,593 43.63% 10,937 49.74% 1,116 5.08% 239 1.09% 102 0.46% -1,344 -6.11% 21,987
Clay 10,128 43.36% 11,712 50.14% 963 4.12% 428 1.83% 127 0.54% -1,584 -6.78% 23,358
Clearwater 1,466 38.34% 2,137 55.88% 134 3.50% 69 1.80% 18 0.47% -671 -17.54% 3,824
Cook 1,171 41.52% 1,295 45.92% 290 10.28% 25 0.89% 39 1.38% -124 -4.40% 2,820
Cottonwood 2,503 40.50% 3,369 54.51% 208 3.37% 74 1.20% 27 0.44% -866 -14.01% 6,181
Crow Wing 11,255 40.01% 15,035 53.45% 1,314 4.67% 398 1.41% 126 0.45% -3,780 -13.44% 28,128
Dakota 85,446 46.88% 87,250 47.87% 7,799 4.28% 989 0.54% 765 0.42% -1,804 -0.99% 182,249
Dodge 3,370 41.86% 4,213 52.34% 327 4.06% 96 1.19% 44 0.55% -843 -10.48% 8,050
Douglas 6,352 36.92% 9,811 57.02% 746 4.34% 218 1.27% 78 0.45% -3,459 -20.10% 17,205
Faribault 3,624 43.02% 4,336 51.47% 309 3.67% 113 1.34% 42 0.50% -712 -8.45% 8,424
Fillmore 5,020 49.10% 4,646 45.45% 409 4.00% 95 0.93% 53 0.52% 374 3.65% 10,223
Freeborn 8,514 52.75% 6,843 42.40% 555 3.44% 138 0.86% 89 0.55% 1,671 10.35% 16,139
Goodhue 9,981 44.84% 10,852 48.76% 1,093 4.91% 233 1.05% 98 0.44% -871 -3.92% 22,257
Grant 1,507 41.58% 1,804 49.78% 214 5.91% 81 2.24% 18 0.50% -297 -8.20% 3,624
Hennepin 307,599 53.60% 225,657 39.32% 35,584 6.20% 2,300 0.40% 2,706 0.47% 81,942 14.28% 573,846
Houston 4,502 44.28% 5,077 49.94% 421 4.14% 117 1.15% 50 0.49% -575 -5.66% 10,167
Hubbard 3,632 37.78% 5,307 55.21% 484 5.03% 131 1.36% 59 0.61% -1,675 -17.43% 9,613
Isanti 6,247 41.84% 7,668 51.36% 753 5.04% 175 1.17% 86 0.58% -1,421 -9.52% 14,929
Itasca 10,583 48.74% 9,545 43.96% 1,137 5.24% 296 1.36% 153 0.70% 1,038 4.78% 21,714
Jackson 2,364 43.47% 2,773 50.99% 194 3.57% 77 1.42% 30 0.55% -409 -7.52% 5,438
Kanabec 2,831 41.57% 3,480 51.09% 344 5.05% 108 1.59% 48 0.70% -649 -9.52% 6,811
Kandiyohi 8,220 42.62% 10,026 51.99% 734 3.81% 228 1.18% 77 0.40% -1,806 -9.37% 19,285
Kittson 1,107 41.98% 1,353 51.31% 68 2.58% 88 3.34% 21 0.80% -246 -9.33% 2,637
Koochiching 2,903 42.20% 3,523 51.21% 302 4.39% 101 1.47% 50 0.73% -620 -9.01% 6,879
Lac qui Parle 2,244 50.39% 1,941 43.59% 160 3.59% 87 1.95% 21 0.47% 303 6.80% 4,453
Lake 3,579 54.53% 2,465 37.56% 426 6.49% 58 0.88% 35 0.53% 1,114 16.97% 6,563
Lake of the Woods 848 38.77% 1,216 55.60% 74 3.38% 33 1.51% 16 0.73% -368 -16.83% 2,187
Le Sueur 5,361 43.48% 6,138 49.78% 603 4.89% 183 1.48% 46 0.37% -777 -6.30% 12,331
Lincoln 1,590 48.42% 1,513 46.07% 105 3.20% 54 1.64% 22 0.67% 77 2.35% 3,284
Lyon 4,737 41.23% 6,087 52.98% 460 4.00% 144 1.25% 61 0.53% -1,350 -11.75% 11,489
Mahnomen 921 41.41% 1,122 50.45% 96 4.32% 71 3.19% 14 0.63% -201 -9.04% 2,224
Marshall 1,910 36.74% 2,912 56.01% 160 3.08% 191 3.67% 26 0.50% -1,002 -19.27% 5,199
Martin 4,166 40.17% 5,686 54.83% 376 3.63% 96 0.93% 47 0.45% -1,520 -14.66% 10,371
McLeod 5,609 36.44% 8,782 57.05% 681 4.42% 231 1.50% 91 0.59% -3,173 -20.61% 15,394
Meeker 4,402 41.25% 5,520 51.72% 517 4.84% 174 1.63% 59 0.55% -1,118 -10.47% 10,672
Mille Lacs 4,376 42.68% 5,223 50.94% 448 4.37% 156 1.52% 50 0.49% -847 -8.26% 10,253
Morrison 5,274 35.93% 8,197 55.85% 633 4.31% 493 3.36% 80 0.55% -2,923 -19.92% 14,677
Mower 10,693 57.86% 6,873 37.19% 678 3.67% 143 0.77% 93 0.50% 3,820 20.67% 18,480
Murray 2,093 44.04% 2,407 50.64% 149 3.13% 73 1.54% 31 0.65% -314 -6.60% 4,753
Nicollet 7,041 45.94% 7,221 47.11% 842 5.49% 169 1.10% 54 0.35% -180 -1.17% 15,327
Nobles 3,760 42.38% 4,766 53.72% 238 2.68% 72 0.81% 36 0.41% -1,006 -11.34% 8,872
Norman 1,575 43.26% 1,808 49.66% 123 3.38% 115 3.16% 20 0.55% -233 -6.40% 3,641
Olmsted 25,822 43.48% 30,641 51.59% 2,198 3.70% 369 0.62% 362 0.61% -4,819 -8.11% 59,392
Otter Tail 9,844 34.53% 16,963 59.50% 1,120 3.93% 450 1.58% 134 0.47% -7,119 -24.97% 28,511
Pennington 2,458 38.89% 3,380 53.48% 255 4.03% 193 3.05% 34 0.54% -922 -14.59% 6,320
Pine 6,148 47.05% 5,854 44.80% 734 5.62% 258 1.97% 74 0.57% 294 2.25% 13,068
Pipestone 1,970 40.25% 2,693 55.03% 140 2.86% 64 1.31% 27 0.55% -723 -14.78% 4,894
Polk 5,764 40.76% 7,609 53.81% 369 2.61% 337 2.38% 61 0.43% -1,845 -13.05% 14,140
Pope 2,771 46.28% 2,808 46.90% 264 4.41% 123 2.05% 21 0.35% -37 -0.62% 5,987
Ramsey 138,470 56.69% 87,669 35.89% 15,522 6.35% 1,395 0.57% 1,222 0.50% 50,801 20.80% 244,278
Red Lake 830 39.71% 1,090 52.15% 68 3.25% 88 4.21% 14 0.67% -260 -12.44% 2,090
Redwood 2,681 34.60% 4,589 59.23% 314 4.05% 123 1.59% 41 0.53% -1,908 -24.63% 7,748
Renville 3,533 43.50% 4,036 49.69% 355 4.37% 171 2.11% 27 0.33% -503 -6.19% 8,122
Rice 13,140 50.50% 10,876 41.80% 1,639 6.30% 234 0.90% 132 0.51% 2,264 8.70% 26,021
Rock 2,081 41.54% 2,772 55.33% 116 2.32% 18 0.36% 23 0.46% -691 -13.79% 5,010
Roseau 2,128 29.70% 4,695 65.52% 176 2.46% 126 1.76% 41 0.57% -2,567 -35.82% 7,166
St. Louis 64,237 59.78% 35,420 32.96% 6,290 5.85% 977 0.91% 540 0.50% 28,817 26.82% 107,464
Scott 17,503 39.97% 23,954 54.70% 1,829 4.18% 307 0.70% 200 0.46% -6,451 -14.73% 43,793
Sherburne 12,109 39.27% 16,813 54.53% 1,501 4.87% 289 0.94% 123 0.40% -4,704 -15.26% 30,835
Sibley 2,687 36.63% 4,087 55.72% 361 4.92% 156 2.13% 44 0.60% -1,400 -19.09% 7,335
Stearns 24,800 39.70% 32,402 51.86% 3,820 6.11% 1,131 1.81% 323 0.52% -7,602 -12.16% 62,476
Steele 6,900 42.95% 8,223 51.18% 697 4.34% 179 1.11% 67 0.42% -1,323 -8.23% 16,066
Stevens 2,434 42.32% 2,831 49.22% 393 6.83% 68 1.18% 26 0.45% -397 -6.90% 5,752
Swift 2,698 49.62% 2,376 43.70% 218 4.01% 118 2.17% 27 0.50% 322 5.92% 5,437
Todd 4,132 37.25% 6,031 54.37% 485 4.37% 388 3.50% 56 0.50% -1,899 -17.12% 11,092
Traverse 884 41.98% 1,074 51.00% 86 4.08% 54 2.56% 8 0.38% -190 -9.02% 2,106
Wabasha 4,522 42.94% 5,245 49.81% 571 5.42% 136 1.29% 57 0.54% -723 -6.87% 10,531
Wadena 2,251 35.27% 3,733 58.49% 253 3.96% 115 1.80% 30 0.47% -1,482 -23.22% 6,382
Waseca 3,694 41.67% 4,608 51.99% 398 4.49% 129 1.46% 35 0.39% -914 -10.32% 8,864
Washington 49,637 46.39% 51,502 48.13% 4,891 4.57% 582 0.54% 397 0.37% -1,865 -1.74% 107,009
Watonwan 2,258 43.98% 2,562 49.90% 212 4.13% 79 1.54% 23 0.45% -304 -5.92% 5,134
Wilkin 1,046 31.65% 2,032 61.48% 77 2.33% 129 3.90% 21 0.64% -986 -29.83% 3,305
Winona 11,069 46.28% 10,773 45.04% 1,750 7.32% 190 0.79% 136 0.57% 296 1.24% 23,918
Wright 16,762 38.65% 23,861 55.02% 1,977 4.56% 485 1.12% 281 0.65% -7,099 -16.37% 43,366
Yellow Medicine 2,528 45.84% 2,598 47.11% 232 4.21% 121 2.19% 36 0.65% -70 -1.27% 5,515
Totals 1,168,266 47.91% 1,109,659 45.50% 126,696 5.20% 22,166 0.91% 11,898 0.49% 58,607 2.40% 2,438,685

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Bush won 5 of 8 congressional districts, including two held by Democrats.[6]

District Gore Bush Representative
1st 46% 48% Gil Gutknecht
2nd 40% 54% David Minge
Mark Kennedy
3rd 45% 50% Jim Ramstad
4th 56% 36% Bruce Vento
Betty McCollum
5th 63% 28% Martin Olav Sabo
6th 46% 48% Bill Luther
7th 39% 54% Collin Peterson
8th 49% 44% Jim Oberstar

Electors

Main article: List of 2000 United States presidential electors

Technically the voters of Minnesota cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Minnesota is allocated ten electors because it has eight congressional districts and two 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. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 18, 2000[7] 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 were pledged to and voted for Gore and Lieberman:[8]

  1. Carol Bartels
  2. Prudy Cameron
  3. Joan Campbell
  4. Elmer Deutschmann
  5. Elizabeth Kalisch
  6. Matthew Little
  7. Glenda Meixell
  8. John Meuers
  9. Janis Ray
  10. Georgiana Ruzich

See also

References

  1. ^ "Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State". www.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2017-07-22.
  2. ^ Menendez, Albert J. The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 121 ISBN 0786422173
  3. ^ Dave Leip. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Minnesota". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
  4. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  5. ^ "2000 Presidential General Election Results - Minnesota".
  6. ^ 2000 Presidential General Election Results - Minnesota US Election Atlas
  7. ^ "2000 Post-Election Timeline of Events".
  8. ^ "President Elect - 2000". Archived from the original on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
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