ST. PAUL 鈥� President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won Minnesota for their respective parties on Tuesday, March 5, according to u
Both men have dominated the 2024 primary season. Biden, the likely Democrat nominee, has lost no states and only one race, in American Samoa, to philanthropist Jason Palmer. Trump, the likely Republican nominee, has lost races to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in Washington, D.C., and, on Tuesday, Vermont.
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March 5 was 鈥淪uper Tuesday,鈥� the presidential primary day when the greatest number of states hold elections and caucuses. Minnesota was one of 15 states that held primary elections Tuesday.
Biden commanded 70.1% of the vote tally in the Democratic election. A drive to garnered 18.79% of the vote Tuesday. In the nation's primaries so far, the movement has largely failed to move the needle away from Biden.
Trump, who currently faces and was recently fined $355 million in a New York civil court for fraudulent business practices, had 68.94% of the vote on the Republican side. Haley secured 28.78% of the vote.
The Legalize Marijuana Now Party, Minnesota's only other major party, had Krystal Gabel, a cannabis rights activist, win with 28.78% of the vote
Election results for Minnesota are unofficial until the State Canvassing Board meets on March 12.
Biden is leading his party's delegate count after voters have largely shut out Sen. Dean Phillips, D-Minnesota, and self-help guru Marianne Williamson. Williamson dropped out of the race earlier this month.
Minnesota was a test for the Phillips campaign. Historically, if a candidate does not win their home state's primary, they drop out of the presidential race. However, after losing her home state to Trump by a 20% margin, Haley defied that path when she vowed to stay in the fight against Trump. Phillips has signaled he does not plan to drop out.
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Phillips captured 7.76% of the vote Tuesday.
Following Super Tuesday's primaries, but declined to announce an endorsement for President.
Trump leads Republicans in delegate counts, easily outpacing rivals so far this election season. Only Haley remains against Trump after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out.
Voters in Minnesota
Trump during a radio interview on Monday before acknowledging that he did not. Some of the federal criminal charges Trump faces relate to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. His other federal charges are for alleged mishandling of classified documents.
"I thought we won it last time, I'll be honest, and I think we did win it. It's very interesting, bad things happened with Minnesota," Trump said on St. Cloud station KNSI's "Hot Talk with the Ox" program Monday.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump, the national winner, in Minnesota by less than 2 percentage points. In 2020, Joe Biden won the state 鈥� again over Trump 鈥� by a larger but still single-digit margin.
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As expected, Biden performed better on Tuesday in metro areas, with Trump capturing most of rural Minnesota.
Voters in Greater Minnesota cited the economy, immigration and crime as top concerns. While voters have shown broad support in the area for Trump, some said they were done with his antics.
鈥淚鈥檓 kind of tired of all the mean comments,鈥� Nancy Putz said after her vote in Nevis. 鈥淲e need to get together and work for each other, and not us against them and them against us."
However, Bob Weise, who also voted in Nevis, said he wants Biden out of office.
"I鈥檇 like to see us get our country back. 鈥� Leave our liberties alone, as I remember it when I was younger. Give me my liberties back," he said.
By Tuesday afternoon, about according to Stearns County Election Supervisor Roxanne Gerads. The county has more than 94,000 registered voters, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State website.
鈥淭urnout is still pretty light,鈥� Gerads said around 5 p.m. Tuesday. 鈥淪ome precincts are reporting things being pretty slow, and others have said they have been busier than expected.鈥�
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Dianne Walter, a ballot judge in Hubbard County, said the general atmosphere at the polls was quiet. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all glad we鈥檙e here,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e in a good mood.鈥�
Voters also expressed some displeasure over Minnesota's new single-party ballots.
In the presidential primary of 2020 鈥� Minnesota鈥檚 first following statewide move away from the caucus system 鈥� the major parties鈥� slates of candidates were laid out in columns, side by side on a single ballot. Starting this year, primary voters received a ballot with just their preferred party鈥檚 candidates on it.
City of Nevis election judge Sue Gray pointed out one potential drawback of this measure: Information about who voted in their primary goes to each party鈥檚 leadership, enabling them to 鈥渇ill our mailboxes with junk.鈥�
鈥淧eople realize what we鈥檙e doing this year with the new ballot,鈥� said Hubbard Township election judge Terry Kimball. 鈥淭here were a couple people that were intimidated they had to pick one party at the register.鈥�
In between voters, the election judges in for each election before they leave the polling place for the night. Counts for registration, ballots and receipts all need to add up.
鈥淧eople who say there鈥檚 this and there鈥檚 that and there鈥檚 the other thing, I challenge them to become a judge and see just how exacting and meticulous they have to be,鈥� election judge Cheryl Plouff茅 said. 鈥淲e have to count everything before those doors even open.鈥�
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The Trust Project
