United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2002

United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2002

November 5, 2002

Nominee Norm Coleman Walter Mondale Party Republican DFL Popular vote 1,116,697 1,067,246 Percentage 49.5% 47.3%

County results

U.S. Senator before election Dean Barkley Independence Elected U.S. Senator Norm Coleman Republican

Elections in Minnesota
General elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
Federal elections Presidential elections 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Senate elections Class 1 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 Class 2 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2020 House of Representatives elections 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
State executive elections Gubernatorial elections 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 Secretary of State elections 2010 2014 2018 State Auditor elections 2006 2010 2014 2018 Attorney General elections 2010 2014 2018
State legislative elections Senate elections 1976 1980 1982 1986 1990 1992 1996 2000 2002 2006 2010 2012 2016 2020 House of Representatives elections 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 Special elections Senate House of Representatives
Ballot questions 2012 Amendment 1 Amendment 2
Minneapolis General elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 Mayoral elections 2009 2013 2017 City Council elections 2009 2013 2017 Board of Estimate and Taxation elections 2009 2013 Park and Recreation Board elections 2009 2013
Saint Paul Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013

The 2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone was running for re-election to a third term, but died in a plane crash eleven days before the election. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) chose former Vice President and 1984 Presidential candidate Walter Mondale to replace Wellstone on the ballot. Mondale lost to Republican Mayor of Saint Paul Norm Coleman. The day before the election, Independence Governor Jesse Ventura had appointed Dean Barkley (IP) to serve the rest of Wellstone's term.^[1]

Primary elections

DFL

Paul Wellstone defeated Dick Franson 93% to 5%.

Republican

Norm Coleman defeated Jack Shepard 95% to 5%.

General election

Candidates on the ballot

• Norm Coleman (R), Mayor of Saint Paul
• Walter Mondale (D), former Vice President of the United States from Minneapolis
• Jim Moore (I), Commercial Banker from Minneapolis
• Paul Wellstone* (D), incumbent U.S. Senator from Saint Paul
• Ray Tricomo (G), Professor from Oakdale
• Miro Drago Kovatchevick (C), Systems analyst from Minneapolis

* Paul Wellstone still appeared on the ballot despite his death (he had been replaced by former Vice President of the United States Walter Mondale)

Campaign

At the time of his death, Wellstone was slightly ahead in the polls. After Walter Mondale was chosen as the DFL candidate, in a poll taken a few days before the election Mondale was leading 51% to 45%. Early on Election Day, Mondale was leading in votes. By nightfall, however, Norm Coleman pulled ahead, winning by 49.5 percent to 47.3 percent.

Results

* Wellstone was listed as the incumbent, and remained on the ballot despite a court order replacing Wellstone's name with Mondale's.

Aftermath

After Norm Coleman was declared the winner, Walter Mondale conceded and said in his speech, "At the end of what will be my last campaign, I want to say to Minnesota, you always treated me well, you always listened to me." Mondale's loss of this election, combined with his landslide defeat in the United States presidential election in 1984, made him the only American major-party candidate to lose an election in all 50 states. Although Mondale did not seek office again, he remained active politically. The election victor, Norm Coleman, was sworn-in on January 3, 2003 as the first Republican to hold that Senate seat since Rudy Boschwitz left office in 1991. Coleman would serve in the United States Senate until losing to Al Franken by a very small margin in the following election.

References

Elections in Minnesota
General elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
State elections Executive elections Gubernatorial elections 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 Secretary of State elections 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 State Auditor elections 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Attorney General elections 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Legislative elections Senate elections 1976 1980 1982 1986 1990 1992 1996 2000 2002 2006 2010 2012 2016 2020 House of Representatives elections 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 Ballot questions 2012 Amendment 1 Amendment 2 Special elections Senate House of Representatives
Federal elections Presidential elections 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Senate elections Class 1 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 Class 2 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2020 House of Representatives elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
Municipal elections Minneapolis General elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 Mayoral elections 2009 2013 2017 City Council elections 2009 2013 2017 Board of Estimate and Taxation elections 2009 2013 Park and Recreation Board elections 2009 2013 Saint Paul Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2013