This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Minnesota was June 2, 2026.
This year has the highest number of candidates since 2014. Forty-one candidates — 22 Democrats and 19 Republicans — are running for Minnesota’s eight congressional districts. That’s 5.1 candidates per district. There were 3.6 candidates per district in 2024, four in 2022, 4.6 in 2020, 4.8 in 2018, 3.8 in 2016, and 2.4 in 2014.
Not among those candidates is incumbent Rep. Angie Craig (D), who is running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota. As a result, the 2nd Congressional District is open this year. There was one open district in 2024, one in 2022, none in 2020, three in 2018, one in 2016, and one in 2014.
Of the incumbents running for re-election, five — two Democrats and three Republicans — are doing so in contested primaries. There were six incumbents in contested primaries in 2024, four in 2022, six in 2020, two in 2018, three in 2016, and none in 2014.
In total, 12 primaries — six Democratic and six Republican — are contested this year. In total, there were 10 contested primaries in 2024, nine in 2022, 10 in 2020, 10 in 2018, eight in 2016, and three in 2014.
The 5th Congressional District has attracted the most candidates. Nine candidates, including incumbent Rep. Ilhan Omar (D), four other Democrats, and four Republicans, are running for the district.
Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in all eight districts, meaning no districts are guaranteed to either party.
Minnesota and four other states — Alabama, Connecticut, Vermont, and Wisconsin — are holding U.S. House primaries on Aug. 11, 2026.
In Minnesota, the winner of a primary election is the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes cast for that office, even if they do not win an outright majority.
