Choices, Choices, Choices

In 2010, a total of 29 candidates ran across Minnesota’s eight congressional districts – good for the seventh highest per district average in the history of the state (at 3.63 candidates) across the 78 general cycles dating back to 1857. That number appears to have declined significantly with just 18 DFL, GOP, and Independence Party slots across the eight districts according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. The largest candidate-to-district ratio occurred in 2000 when 35 candidates ran for the Gopher State’s eight U.S. House seats, or 4.38 candidates per district, followed by the Elections of 1880 (4.33), 1892 and 1992 (4.00), 1894 (3.86), and 1934 (3.67). The last time a major party failed to field a candidate in a Minnesota U.S. House race was 1976 when DFLer Jim Oberstar ran without opposition.