Party Caucuses Held Across Minnesota to Kick Off 2026 Election Cycle

Minnesota caucuses draw high turnout statewide

(The Center Square) – Minnesota officially kicked off the election season Tuesday night with both major parties holding party caucuses and conducted straw polls for the governor’s election.

Minnesota caucus results show early frontrunners among GOP governor candidates

Results are still coming in from precinct caucuses across Minnesota on Tuesday night, but early returns are highlighting the initial frontrunners in the race for governor.

Demuth leads in Minnesota GOP gubernatorial straw polls on precinct caucus night

Mark Holland sits with his precinct at the Senate District 57 GOP caucus in Lakeville, MN Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026. (Photo by Alyssa Chen/Minnesota Reformer) House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, was on her way to a strong showing in the Republican gubernatorial straw poll at precinct caucuses Tuesday night. With over two-thirds of the vote counted, the state’s first Black House speaker was leading, while Kendall Qualls, an Army veteran and form…

Demuth wins Olmsted County straw poll in race for governor among caucus-goers

GOP faithful predict the state's fraud scandal will move voters to its camp, rather than ICE moving them away.

Party caucuses held across Minnesota to kick off 2026 election cycle

The GOP and DFL both held party caucuses and conducted straw polls for candidates for governor on Tuesday.

Minnesota voters head to party caucuses as historic governor race looms

MOORHEAD — Minnesota voters are heading to party caucuses Tuesday night, Feb. 3. It is the first formal step in choosing nominees for governor and statewide officers. But Tuesday’s caucuses are the first chance for potential voters to air their opinions about the party platform, and the first step in determining which candidate will win their party’s nomination in advance of the November general election. And this year, there is potential to ma…