Elections
The Minnesota 2026 congressional primary was held on August 11, 2026. General Election Day is November 3, 2026.
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Term end dates, party breakdown, and which seats are on the November ballot.
General Election · November 3, 2026
Quick Answer
Open seat — Sen. Tina Smith is retiring. Minnesota Democrats run as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the DFL primary with 59.0%, over U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (39.4%). Michele Tafoya won the Republican primary with 52.1%, over Adam Schwarze (24.0%) and Royce White (11.2%). Minnesota has no primary runoff, so a plurality is sufficient.
November nominees
Michele Tafoya
Won primary · 52.1%
Peggy Flanagan
Won primary · 59.0%
Each won their own party's primary and advance to November 3, 2026 in a single-winner plurality contest.
All U.S. House seats in Minnesota are on the 2026 ballot. Every House member runs for re-election every two years. View Minnesota representatives →
Minnesota's Class II Senate seat is up for election in 2026. The current senator is Tina Smith (D) — retiring; open seat. Class II senators were last elected in 2020 and serve six-year terms.
Minnesota holds separate party primaries, but any registered voter may participate — you do not need to be registered with a party. On primary day, you simply request the ballot for the party whose primary you want to vote in.
| August 11, 2026 | Primary Election (passed) |
| October 2026 | Voter registration deadlines (check your state) |
| November 3, 2026 | General Election |
| January 3, 2027 | 120th Congress convenes |
Any registered voter may participate — no party registration required. You may choose which party's primary to vote in on Election Day. Registration deadlines vary — most states require registration 15–30 days before the primary, though some offer same-day registration.
Check your registration status and find your polling place at vote.gov.
See All State Primary Dates
Compare Minnesota's primary to other states' 2026 schedules.
Michele Tafoya won the Republican nomination with 52.1% of the vote, and Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic nomination with 59.0%. They advance to the general election on November 3, 2026.
The November 3, 2026 ballot features Michele Tafoya (R) vs Peggy Flanagan (D) for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat.
The Minnesota 2026 congressional primary is August 11, 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026.
Any registered voter may participate — no party registration required. You may choose which party's primary to vote in on Election Day.
All U.S. House seats in Minnesota are on the 2026 primary ballot. Additionally, the U.S. Senate seat (Class II) is up for election. The current senator is Tina Smith (D) — retiring; open seat. Many states also hold primaries for governor and state legislature on the same day.
Minnesota holds separate party primaries, but any registered voter may participate — you do not need to be registered with a party. On primary day, you simply request the ballot for the party whose primary you want to vote in.
Voter registration deadlines vary but are typically 15–30 days before the primary. Check the Minnesota Secretary of State website or vote.gov for the exact deadline.
The 2026 general election is on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. This date is the same for all 50 states — it is always the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years.
