2010 Minnesota general election

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Elections in Minnesota
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State legislative elections Senate elections 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1976 1980 1982 1986 1990 1992 1996 2000 2002 2006 2010 2012 2016 2020 2022 House of Representatives elections 1910 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Special elections Senate House of Representatives
Ballot questions 2012 Amendment 1 Amendment 2
Minneapolis General elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 City Council elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2023 City ballot questions Question 2 (2021)
Saint Paul Mayoral elections 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
v t e

Elections were held in Minnesota on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Primary elections took place on August 10, 2010.

Federal

United States House

All eight seats in the United States House of Representatives are up for election in 2010. All eight incumbents will be seeking re-election.

United States Senate

Minnesota's two senators are not up for election in 2010.

State

Statewide offices in Minnesota, including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Auditor are up for election in 2010.

Governor

Incumbent Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, is retiring from office after two terms. Candidates seeking to replace Pawlenty include State Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano; ; Former Sen. Mark Dayton, DFL-Minnesota; and activist Tom Horner for the Independence Party.

Secretary of State

Incumbent DFL Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is seeking re-election after an eventful first term in office, in which he oversaw the very tight election and subsequent recount in the 2008 U.S. Senate race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman.

Ritchie is being challenged by State Rep. Dan Severson, R-Sauk Rapids, who has been challenged for attempting to be listed on the ballot as Dan "Doc" Severson, in an apparent attempt to tie himself to former Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen.^[1] Also running is Independence Party candidate Jual Carlson.

Attorney General

Incumbent DFL Attorney General Lori Swanson is seeking re-election after her first term in office. She is being challenged by Republican attorney and psychologist R. Christopher Barden and Independence Party candidate Bill Dahn.^[2]

State Auditor

Incumbent DFL State Auditor Rebecca Otto is seeking re-election after her first term in office. She is being challenged by former Republican State Auditor Patricia Anderson, who lost her position to Otto in 2006.^[3]

State Senate

All 67 seats in the Minnesota Senate are up for election in 2010. The DFL currently holds 46 seats in the body, compared with 21 for the Republicans. Republicans have not held control of the body since the end of the nonpartisan legislative era in 1973.

State House of Representatives

All 134 seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives are up for election in 2010. The DFL currently holds 87 seats in the body, compared to 47 for the GOP. Republicans most recently held the House from 1999 through 2007.

Local

Many elections for county offices will also be held on November 2, 2010.