# 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota

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The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the eight U.S. representatives from the state of Minnesota, one from each of the state's eight congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on August 9.
This is the last cycle where the Democratic candidate would win either the 1st or 8th district and the last cycle Republicans candidate would win either the 2nd or 3rd district.

## Overview
### Statewide

United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats before | Seats after | +/– |
| | Democratic (DFL) | 1,434,559 | 50.20% | 5 | 5 | - |
| | Republican | 1,334,679 | 46.70% | 3 | 3 | - |
| | Legal Marijuana Now | 57,911 | 2.02% | 0 | 0 | - |
| | Independence | 28,870 | 1.01% | 0 | 0 | - |
| | Others | 4,370 | 0.15% | 0 | 0 | - |
| Totals | Totals | 2,860,389 | 100.00% | 8 | 8 | — |

### District

Results of the 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota by district:
| District | Democratic | Democratic | Republican | Republican | Others | Others | Total | Total | Result |
| District | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Result |
| District 1 | 169,074 | 50.34% | 166,526 | 49.58% | 277 | 0.08% | 335,600 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 2 | 167,315 | 45.16% | 173,970 | 46.95% | 29,229 | 7.89% | 370,514 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 3 | 169,243 | 43.01% | 223,077 | 56.70% | 1,144 | 0.29% | 393,464 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 4 | 203,299 | 57.76% | 121,032 | 34.39% | 27,613 | 7.85% | 351,944 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 5 | 249,964 | 69.07% | 80,660 | 22.29% | 31,258 | 8.64% | 361,882 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 6 | 123,008 | 34.27% | 235,380 | 65.58% | 536 | 0.15% | 358,924 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 7 | 173,589 | 52.47% | 156,952 | 47.44% | 307 | 0.09% | 330,848 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 8 | 179,098 | 50.17% | 177,089 | 49.61% | 792 | 0.22% | 356,979 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| Total | 1,434,559 | 50.15% | 1,334,679 | 46.66% | 91,151 | 3.19% | 2,860,389 | 100.00% | |

## District 1

Incumbent Democrat Tim Walz, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 54% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+1.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Tim Walz, incumbent U.S. Representative

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Tim Walz (incumbent) | 13,538 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 13,538 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Jim Hagedorn, blogger, candidate for this seat in 2010 and nominee in 2014

##### Eliminated in primary

* Steve Williams

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Hagedorn | 10,851 | 76.5 |
| | Republican | Steve Williams | 3,330 | 23.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,181 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Endorsements

Labor unions
* AFL-CIO
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

#### Results

Minnesota's 1st congressional district, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Tim Walz (incumbent) | 169,074 | 50.3 |
| | Republican | Jim Hagedorn | 166,526 | 49.6 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 277 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 335,877 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |

## District 2

Incumbent Republican John Kline, who had represented the district since 2003, announced that he would not seek re-election. He was re-elected with 56% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+2.

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Jason Lewis, political commentator, former talk radio host, and nominee for Colorado's 2nd district in 1990

##### Eliminated in primary

* Matthew Erickson, Minnesota spokesperson for Donald Trump
* John Howe, former state senator, former mayor of Red Wing and candidate for Minnesota Secretary of State in 2014
* Darlene Miller, president and CEO of Permac Industries and member of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness

##### Withdrawn

* David Benson-Staebler, political consultant, former Democratic congressional aide, and real estate agent
* David Gerson, engineer and candidate in 2012 and 2014
* Pam Myhra, former state representative and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2014

##### Declined

* Tony Albright, state representative
* Ted Daley, former state senator
* Steve Drazkowski, state representative
* Pat Garofalo, state representative
* John Kline, incumbent U.S. Representative
* John Kriesel, former state representative
* Mike McFadden, businessman and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2014
* Mary Pawlenty, former Dakota County District Court Judge and former First Lady of Minnesota
* Roz Peterson, state representative
* Eric Pratt, state senator
* Steve Sviggum, former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
* Dave Thompson, state senator and candidate for governor in 2014

#### Endorsements

Organizations
* Madison Project
Organizations
* NRA Political Victory Fund
State legislators
* Steve Drazkowski, state representative
* Dan Hall, state senator
* Dave Thompson, state senator and candidate for governor in 2014
Organizations
* Republican Party of Minnesota
Individuals
* Bill Cooper, former chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota
Organizations
* Maggie's List

#### Debate

2016 Minnesota's 2nd congressional district republican primary debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican | Republican |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | | | | | |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | David Benson-Staebler | David Gerson | John Howe | Jason Lewis | Pam Myhra |
| 1 | Nov. 19, 2015 | Republicans in Senate District 52 | | | P | P | P | P | P |

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jason Lewis | 11,641 | 48.9 |
| | Republican | Darlene Miller | 7,305 | 30.7 |
| | Republican | John Howe | 3,244 | 13.6 |
| | Republican | Matthew D. Erickson | 1,612 | 6.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 23,802 | 100.0 |

### Democratic primary

Democrat Angela Craig, who served as vice president of global human resources for St. Jude Medical, resigned from her position in January 2015 to challenge Lewis. Mary Lawrence, a doctor, also ran as a Democrat, but dropped out before the primary.

#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Angie Craig, former St. Jude Medical executive

##### Withdrawn

* Roger Kittelson, dairy marketing specialist, nominee for WI-06 in 2008 and candidate for Minnesota House of Representatives in 1982 and 2014
* Mary Lawrence, ophthalmologist

##### Declined

* Joe Atkins, state representative
* Rick Hansen, state representative
* Mike Obermueller, former state representative and nominee in 2012 and 2014

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Angie Craig | 15,155 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 15,155 | 100.0 |

### Independence primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Paula Overby, quality assurance analyst and nominee for this seat in 2014

### General election
#### Campaign

Commentators wrote that the election was "likely to be one of the most-watched congressional races in the country," (MinnPost), "expected to be one of the most competitive in the country", according to Roll Call newspaper, and "seen as a prime target for Democrats to flip" according to The Atlantic.
Area left-wing weekly City Pages described the campaign as resembling the 2016 presidential campaign, calling Lewis "an entrepreneur and media personality, whose blunt rhetoric is refreshingly honest to some, simply offensive to others", and describing Craig as "a tough female leader with moderate positions, ties to big business, and a penchant for pantsuits".
In May 2016, the Rothenberg and Gonzales Political Report changed its rating of the race from "pure tossup" to "tossup/tilt Democratic," with political analyst Nathan Gonzales writing that Craig "is probably to the left of the district in her ideology, but she has a good story to tell, is raising considerable money (she had $1.3 million in the bank at the end of March) and is solid as a candidate." Other political prognosticators rated the race "Republican Toss-up" (Charlie Cook), and "pure" toss-up (Larry Sabato's "Crystal Ball"), according to MinnPost.

#### Endorsements

State legislators
* Steve Drazkowski, state representative
* Dan Hall, state senator
* Dave Thompson, state senator and candidate for governor in 2014
Organizations
* National Republican Congressional Committee "Young Guns" Program
* Republican Party of Minnesota
Individuals
* Bill Cooper, former chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota
U.S. Senators
* Al Franken, U.S. Senator (D-MN)
U.S. Representatives
* Keith Ellison, U.S. Representative (MN-05)
* Jared Polis, U.S. Representative (CO-02)
* Mark Takano, U.S. Representative (CA-41)
* Tim Walz, U.S. Representative (MN-01)
State legislators
* Jim Carlson, state senator
* Greg Clausen, state senator
* Scott Dibble, state senator
* Laurie Halverson, state representative
* Sandra Masin, state representative
* Will Morgan, former state representative
* Erin Murphy, state representative
* Sandy Pappas, President of the Minnesota Senate
* Mike Obermueller, former state representative and nominee in 2012 and 2014
* Dan Schoen, state representative
* Katie Sieben, state senator
Labor unions
* AFL-CIO
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers
* International Brotherhood of Teamsters
* International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 82
* United Steelworkers
Organizations
* Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Red to Blue" Program
* EMILY's List
* Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
* Human Rights Campaign
* NARAL Pro-Choice America
* Stonewall DFL Caucus
* WomenWinning
Local officials
* Ann Counihan, South St. Paul School Board member
* Mike Engel, Mayor of Kenyon
* Debbie Goettel, Mayor of Richfield
* Matt Klein, ISD 197 School Board member

#### Debates

* Complete video of debate, October 30, 2016

#### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jason Lewis (R) | Angie Craig (D) | Paula Overby (I) | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | October 13–16, 2016 | 600 | ± 4.1% | 41% | 46% | — | 12% |
| WPA Opinion Research (R-NRCC) | October 9–10, 2016 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 36% | 33% | — | 26% |
| Gerstein Bocian Agne Strategies (D-Craig) | August 13–16, 2016 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 42% | 43% | 9% | 6% |
| WPA Opinion Research (R-Lewis/NRCC) | August 14–15, 2016 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 39% | 27% | 7% | 25% |

#### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Tossup | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections | Tossup | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg | Tilt D (flip) | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean D (flip) | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP | Lean D (flip) | October 31, 2016 |

#### Results

Lewis ended up defeating Craig by several thousand votes.
Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jason Lewis | 173,970 | 46.9 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Angie Craig | 167,315 | 45.2 |
| | Independence | Paula Overby | 28,869 | 7.8 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 360 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 370,514 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## District 3

Incumbent Republican Erik Paulsen, who had represented the district since 2009, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 62% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+2.

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Erik Paulsen, incumbent U.S. Representative

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Terri Bonoff, state senator

##### Withdrawn

* Jon Tollefson, former U.S. diplomat, lobbyist for the Minnesota Nurses Association and candidate for state representative in 2014

### General election
#### Endorsements

U.S. Presidents
* Barack Obama, President of the United States
Labor unions
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers
Organizations
* Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Red to Blue" Program
* EMILY's List

#### Debates

* Complete video of debate, October 30, 2016

#### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Erik Paulsen (R) | Terri Bonoff (D) | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | October 10–13, 2016 | 579 | ± 4.2% | 49% | 38% | 13% |
| Clarity Campaign Lab (D-House Majority PAC) | September 11–13, 2016 | 353 | ± 4.34% | 45% | 42% | 13% |
| DCCC (D) | September 12, 2016 | 353 | ± 5.2% | 38% | 40% | 22% |
| Newton Heath LLC (R-AAN) | August 9–11, 2016 | 402 | ± 4.9% | 57% | 31% | 12% |
| Victoria Research & Consulting (D-Bonoff) | June 27–30, 2016 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 45% | 45% | 10% |

#### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Lean R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections | Lean R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg | Likely R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP | Lean R | October 31, 2016 |

#### Results

Minnesota's 3rd congressional district, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Erik Paulsen (incumbent) | 223,077 | 56.7 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Terri Bonoff | 169,243 | 43.0 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,144 | 0.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 393,464 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## District 4

Incumbent Democrat Betty McCollum, who had represented the district since 2001, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 61% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of D+11.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Betty McCollum, incumbent U.S. Representative

##### Eliminated in primary

* Steve Carlson

#### Results

Democratic primary election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Betty McCollum (incumbent) | 33,336 | 94.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Steve Carlson | 2,128 | 6.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 35,464 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Greg Ryan, businessman

##### Eliminated in primary

* Gene Rechtzigel
* Nikolay Nikolayevich Bey

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Greg Ryan | 5,618 | 82.0 |
| | Republican | Gene Rechtzigel | 845 | 12.3 |
| | Republican | Nikolay Nikolayevich Bey | 390 | 5.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 6,853 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Endorsements

Labor unions
* AFL-CIO
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

#### Results

Minnesota's 4th congressional district, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Betty McCollum (incumbent) | 203,299 | 57.8 |
| | Republican | Greg Ryan | 121,032 | 34.4 |
| | Legal Marijuana Now | Susan Pendergast Sindt | 27,152 | 7.7 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 461 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 351,944 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |

## District 5

Incumbent Democrat Keith Ellison, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 71% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of D+71.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Keith Ellison, incumbent U.S. Representative

##### Eliminated in primary

* Lee Bauer
* Gregg Iverson, perennial candidate

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Keith Ellison (incumbent) | 40,380 | 91.7 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Gregg Iverson | 1,887 | 4.3 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Lee Bauer | 1,757 | 4.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 44,024 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Frank Nelson Drake, real estate investor

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Frank Nelson Drake | 4,177 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,177 | 100.0 |

### Legal Marijuana Now primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Dennis Schuller

### General election
#### Endorsements

Labor unions
* AFL-CIO
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

#### Results

Minnesota's 5th congressional district, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Keith Ellison (incumbent) | 249,964 | 69.1 |
| | Republican | Frank Nelson Drake | 80,660 | 22.3 |
| | Legal Marijuana Now | Dennis Schuller | 30,759 | 8.5 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 499 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 361,875 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |

## District 6

Incumbent Republican Tom Emmer, who had represented the district since 2015, ran for re-election. He was elected with 56% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+10.

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Tom Emmer, incumbent U.S. Representative

##### Eliminated in primary

* A.J. Kern
* Patrick Munro

#### Endorsements

Organizations
* NRA Political Victory Fund

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Emmer (incumbent) | 13,590 | 68.7 |
| | Republican | A. J. Kern | 5,219 | 26.4 |
| | Republican | Patrick Munro | 962 | 4.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,771 | 100.0 |

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* David Snyder, Army veteran

##### Eliminated in primary

* Judy Evelyn Adams
* Bob Helland, business process analyst and Independence nominee for secretary of state in 2014

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | David Snyder | 4,402 | 46.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Judy Evelyn Adams | 3,569 | 37.3 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Bob Helland | 1,595 | 16.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,566 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Endorsements

Labor unions
* AFL-CIO
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

#### Results

Minnesota's 6th congressional district election, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Emmer (incumbent) | 235,380 | 65.6 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | David Snyder | 123,008 | 34.3 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 536 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 358,924 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## District 7

Incumbent Democrat Collin Peterson, who had represented the district since 1991, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 54% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+6.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Collin Peterson, incumbent U.S. Representative

#### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Collin Peterson (incumbent) | 16,253 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,253 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Dave Hughes, U.S. Air Force veteran

##### Eliminated in primary

* Amanda Lynn Hinson, entrepreneur, writer, and former pastor

#### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dave Hughes | 8,769 | 59.0 |
| | Republican | Amanda Lynn Hinson | 6,104 | 41.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,873 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Endorsements

Labor unions
* AFL-CIO
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

#### Results

Minnesota's 7th congressional district, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Collin Peterson (incumbent) | 173,589 | 52.5 |
| | Republican | Dave Hughes | 156,952 | 47.4 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 307 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 330,848 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |

## District 8

Incumbent Democrat Rick Nolan, who had represented the district since 2013, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 49% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of D+1.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Rick Nolan, incumbent U.S. Representative

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Stewart Mills III, Mills Fleet Farm executive and nominee for this seat in 2014

### General election
#### Endorsements

Labor unions
* AFL-CIO
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
* International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers
Organizations
* Minnesota Farm Bureau
* National Federation of Independent Business
* National Republican Congressional Committee "Young Guns" Program
Newspapers
* ECM Newspapers
* St. Paul Pioneer Press

#### Debate

2016 Minnesota's 8th congressional district debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Republican |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | | |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Rick Nolan | Stewart Mills |
| 1 | Oct. 23, 2016 | KSTP-TV | Leah McLean | | P | P |

#### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Rick Nolan (D) | Stewart Mills (R) | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | October 16–19, 2016 | 595 | ± 4.1% | 41% | 45% | 14% |

#### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Tossup | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections | Tossup | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg | Lean D | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean D | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP | Tossup D | October 31, 2016 |

#### Results

Though Nolan's margin of victory (2,009 votes) was too large to trigger a publicly funded automatic recount, Mills, as of late November 2016, said that he planned to request and pay for a hand recount of all votes cast in the eighth district, as is his right under law. Mills planned to cover the cost of the recount—just over $100,000— himself. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota had not seen a recount in a race for the House of Representatives since 2000, when election day totals in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district fell within the half percentage point threshold, thus triggering a state-funded recount. It is not known if Mills's request for a privately funded recount has precedent in Minnesota's electoral history, at least as it pertains to elections for the House of Representatives.
Minnesota's 8th congressional district, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Rick Nolan (incumbent) | 179,098 | 50.2 |
| | Republican | Stewart Mills | 177,089 | 49.6 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 792 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 356,979 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |