| Election Name: | 2016 Minnesota Republican presidential caucuses |
| Country: | Minnesota |
| Flag Year: | 1983 |
| Flag Image: | File:Flag of Minnesota (1983-2024).svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2012 United States presidential election in Minnesota#Republican caucuses |
| Previous Year: | 2012 |
| Next Election: | 2020 Minnesota Republican presidential primary |
| Next Year: | 2020 |
| Outgoing Members: | MA |
| Elected Members: | OK |
| Image1: | Marco Rubio by Gage Skidmore 8 (cropped).jpg |
| Candidate1: | Marco Rubio |
| Image1 Size: | 120x120px |
| Color1: | c60e3b |
| Home State1: | Florida |
| Delegate Count1: | 17 |
| Popular Vote1: | 41,126 |
| Percentage1: | 36.5% |
| Candidate2: | Ted Cruz |
| Color2: | d4aa00 |
| Image2 Size: | 120x120px |
| Home State2: | Texas |
| Delegate Count2: | 13 |
| Popular Vote2: | 32,684 |
| Percentage2: | 29.0% |
| Image3: | Donald Trump by Gage Skidmore 10 (cropped).jpg |
| Candidate3: | Donald Trump |
| Color3: | 283681 |
| Image3 Size: | 120x120px |
| Home State3: | New York |
| Delegate Count3: | 8 |
| Popular Vote3: | 24,018 |
| Percentage3: | 21.3% |
| Image4: | Ben Carson by Skidmore with lighting correction (cropped).jpg |
| Candidate4: | Ben Carson |
| Color4: | 99ccff |
| Image4 Size: | 120x120px |
| Home State4: | Virginia |
| Delegate Count4: | 0 |
| Popular Vote4: | 8,233 |
| Percentage4: | 7.3% |
| Image5: | John Kasich (24618295175) (cropped).jpg |
| Candidate5: | John Kasich |
| Image5 Size: | 120x120px |
| Color5: | 00b487 |
| Home State5: | Ohio |
| Delegate Count5: | 0 |
| Popular Vote5: | 6,488 |
| Percentage5: | 5.8% |
| Map Size: | 250px |
The 2016 Minnesota Republican presidential caucuses were held on March 1, 2016, as part of the Republican Party's series of presidential primaries. This event was part of the Super Tuesday elections, the day on which the greatest number of states hold primaries and caucuses. The Democratic Party held its Minnesota caucuses on the same day.
The results were notable because it was the only state that was won by Florida senator Marco Rubio. He won 36.5% of the popular vote and received 17 national delegates. He had a particularly strong showing in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th congressional districts.[1] Rubio's success in Minnesota followed a substantial campaigning effort in the state, including a rally in Anoka County on the day of the caucus.
Minnesota was also one of the rare states where then-candidate Donald Trump finished in third place, behind both Rubio and Texas senator Ted Cruz. Analysts attributed Rubio's success in Minnesota to several factors, including the state's caucus format, which tends to favor candidates with strong organizational structures and active, engaged supporters. Additionally, the high proportion of college-educated voters in Minnesota was seen as favorable to Rubio, who tended to perform well with this demographic.[2]
The Minnesota caucus experienced a high voter turnout, with reports of many attending a caucus for the first time. This surge led to organizational difficulties, such as overcrowding and ballot shortages. In some locations, volunteers struggled to manage the influx of participants.[3]
| Poll | Date(s) | Rubio | Cruz | Trump | Carson | Others | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Tribune/Mason-Dixon[4] | ± 6.5% | Jan. 18–20, 2016 | 23% | 21% | 18% | 11% | 27% | ||
| KSTP[5] | ± 4.4% | Oct. 29–Nov. 2, 2015 | 16% | 4% | 26% | 19% | 35% | ||
| PPP[6] | ± 5.2% | Jul. 30–Aug. 2, 2015 | 5% | 7% | 18% | 11% | 63% | ||
| Suffolk[7] | ± 10% | Apr. 24–28, 2014 | 8.1% | 9.2% | 4.6% | 78.2% |
Florida senator Marco Rubio emerged as the winner of the caucus, securing 41,126 (36.5%) votes, which translated to 17 delegates. Ted Cruz, senator from Texas, came in second with 32,684 (29.0%) votes, earning 13 delegates. Donald Trump, who was leading in most other GOP Super Tuesday states, came in third place in Minnesota with 24,018 (21.3%) votes and received 8 delegates.
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor= | Marco Rubio | 41,397 | 36.24% | 17 | |
| bgcolor= | Ted Cruz | 33,181 | 29.04% | 13 | |
| bgcolor= | Donald Trump | 24,473 | 21.42% | 8 | |
| bgcolor= | Ben Carson | 8,422 | 7.37% | 0 | |
| bgcolor= | John Kasich | 6,565 | 5.75% | 0 | |
| bgcolor= | Write-ins | 207 | 0.18% | 0 | |
| Total | 114,245 | 100.00% | 38 | ||
| Source: Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State | |||||