How Amy Klobuchar secured a historic landslide victory in the 2018 Minnesota Senate election

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In November 2018, Minnesota held a pivotal Senate election alongside a special contest for the state's other seat. Incumbent Amy Klobuchar achieved a decisive victory, marking the final instance of a Democratic candidate winning a majority of Minnesota's 87 counties in a statewide race, while reshaping the state's political map.

The 2018 Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 6, 2018, following a primary on August 14. Incumbent Democratic-Farmer-Labor Senator Amy Klobuchar faced Republican state representative Jim Newberger, who had secured the Minnesota GOP convention endorsement. The election occurred during a busy political cycle that included a special election for the state's other Senate seat, which had been vacated by Al Franken's resignation in January 2018. Other contests on the ballot included races for the U.S. House, the governorship, and various state-level positions.

Klobuchar's performance was statistically dominant, as she defeated Newberger by a margin of 24.10%. Her victory was comprehensive, spanning all eight of Minnesota's congressional districts, including three that elected Republicans. She achieved significant success in the state's population centers, particularly in the counties surrounding the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, while also maintaining support in many rural counties. This result gave Klobuchar the largest statewide margin of any candidate in Minnesota during the 2018 cycle, leading to her swearing-in for a third term on January 3, 2019.

Despite her broad success, the election highlighted shifting political trends within the state. While Klobuchar carried a clear majority of Minnesota's 87 counties, the election marked the last time a Democratic candidate achieved this feat in a statewide contest. Notably, some areas moved in the opposite direction; for instance, Lake of the Woods county, where the largest city is Baudette, flipped from Democratic to Republican. On August 24, 2018, the candidates participated in a debate hosted by MPR News at the Minnesota State Fair, providing a final public platform before the voters went to the polls.

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