Primary election results in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District (MN-06) in 2010 and 2008.

August 10, 2010

US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6
      Independence	 Candidate	Totals	Pct	 Graph
	BOB ANDERSON	1,406	100.00
US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6
      Republican	 Candidate	Totals	Pct	 Graph
	MICHELE BACHMANN	17,229	100.00
US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6
      Democratic-Farmer-Labor	 Candidate	Totals	Pct	 Graph
	TARRYL CLARK	28,035	69.11
	MAUREEN KENNEDY REED	12,530	30.89

September 9, 2008

US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 06
      Independence	 Candidate	Totals	Pct	 Graph
	BOB ANDERSON	828	100.00
US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 06
      Republican	 Candidate	Totals	Pct	 Graph
	AUBREY IMMELMAN	3,134	14.08
	MICHELE BACHMANN	19,127	85.92
US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 06
      Democratic-Farmer-Labor	 Candidate	Totals	Pct	 Graph
	EL TINKLENBERG	17,474	100.00

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ANALYSIS

In 2010, 18,637 more votes were cast than in 2008 (59,200 compared with 40,563). This can be accounted for by the fact that none of the party-endorsed candidates faced a serious primary challenge in either the 6th District U.S. House race or the statewide U.S. Senate race in 2008. In contrast, the DFL’s endorsed gubernatorial candidate, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, faced a serious primary challenge in 2010 from two well-funded, politically experienced contenders in Mark Dayton (who won) and Matt Entenza.

Independence Party

Bob Anderson’s vote total increased by 578 votes from 2008 to 2010. Anderson received 2.4% of the primary vote in 2010, compared with 2.0% in 2008. Anderson’s 0.4% increased is not significant, though any increase could plausibly be explained by the fact that he had the IP endorsement in 2010, in contrast with 2008 when he ran as an unendorsed candidate (Democrat Tinklenberg having received an IP cross-endorsement).

Republican Party

Michele Bachmann’s vote total decreased by 1,998 votes from 2008 to 2010. Bachmann received 29.1% of the primary vote in 2010, compared with 47.2% in 2008. Adding 2008 primary challenger Aubrey Immelman’s votes to Bachmann’s, 54.9% of the votes were cast in the Republican primary. (Immelman, who is running as an unaffiliated independent in the 2010 general election, was not listed on the partisan primary ballot; in 2008, he received 7.7% of the primary vote.)

The dramatic reduction in Bachmann’s share of the vote can be accounted for by the fact that, unlike 2008, she faced no primary challenge.

Democratic Party

Tarryl Clark received 10,561 more votes in 2010 than Elwyn Tinklenberg did in 2008. Adding Maureen Reed’s votes to Clark’s, 23,091 more votes were cast in the 2010 DFL primary (40,565) than in 2008 (17,474).

DFL-endorsed Clark received 47.4% of the primary vote in 2010, compared with 43.1% for DFL-endorsed Tinklenberg in 2008. Adding votes for Reed (who dropped out of the race prior to the primary) to Clark’s, 68.5% of the primary votes were cast in the Democratic column.

The high number of votes in the Democratic primary can be accounted for by the hotly contested race for the Democratic nomination for governor.

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Related reports on this site

MN-06: Bachmann Clark Polling (July 30, 2010)

CQ Rates Bachmann’s Seat Safe (May 17, 2010)

MN-06 Poll: Bachmann Approval 53% (Dec. 22, 2009)

Poll: Bachmann Approval at 51% (Nov. 14, 2009)

Democratic Reality Check in 2010? (Aug. 22, 2009)

Building a Non-Partisan Coalition (Aug. 5, 2009)

Can a Democrat Beat Bachmann? (July 27, 2009)

Bachmann Faces Two-Front Fight (July 16, 2009)

MN-06: Who is ‘The Third Man’? (May 24, 2009)

How to Beat Bachmann (May 9, 2009)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — August 11, 2009

Iraq-Afghanistan Casualties

Video

Soldiers accused of driving teen to suicide (NBC Nightly News, Aug. 21, 2009) — Four U.S. soldiers in Iraq have been charged with hazing and terrorizing a young soldier who took his own life after being in Iraq for 10 days. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports. (01:17)

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I provided provided my weekly report of U.S. military deaths in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), compiled from U.S. Department of Defense News Releases.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Two Years Ago — August 11, 2008

On the Campaign Trail: Day 28

Aubrey Immelman on Highway 10 in Salida, between Becker and Big Lake, at the end of the second leg of his Sixth District walking tour, Aug. 11, 2008.

Two-year retrospective: Two years ago today, on the 28th day of my 2008 campaign against U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, I continued my 100-mile Sixth District Walking Tour, setting out on foot from Sauk Rapids and proceeding south along Highway 10 to Clear Lake, Becker, and Salida.