| Election Name: | 1996 United States Senate election in Minnesota |
| Country: | Minnesota |
| Flag Image: | File:Flag of Minnesota (1983-2024).svg |
| Flag Year: | 1983 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1990 United States Senate election in Minnesota |
| Previous Year: | 1990 |
| Next Election: | 2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota |
| Next Year: | 2002 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1996 |
| Image1: | File:Paul Wellstone (cropped).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Paul Wellstone |
| Party1: | Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,098,430 |
| Percentage1: | 50.32% |
| Nominee2: | Rudy Boschwitz |
| Party2: | Republican Party of Minnesota |
| Popular Vote2: | 901,194 |
| Percentage2: | 41.28% |
| Image3: | File:Dean Barkley.jpg |
| Nominee3: | Dean Barkley |
| Party3: | Reform Party (Minnesota) |
| Popular Vote3: | 152,328 |
| Percentage3: | 6.98% |
| Map Size: | 280px |
| U.S. Senator | |
| Before Election: | Paul Wellstone |
| Before Party: | Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |
| After Election: | Paul Wellstone |
| After Party: | Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |
The 1996 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democrat Paul Wellstone won reelection to a second term defeating former Republican Senator Rudy Boschwitz in a rematch.[1]
The primary election was held on September 10, 1996.
Wellstone had unseated the two-term senator Boschwitz in the 1990 election. Boschwitz filed for a rematch.[2] He released ads calling Wellstone "embarrassingly liberal" and "Senator Welfare",[3] and accused Wellstone of supporting flag burning, a move some believe backfired.[4] As in 1990, Wellstone had a massive grassroots campaign that inspired college students, poor people and minorities to get involved in politics for the first time. Boschwitz significantly outspent Wellstone on campaign advertising and the race was closely contested, but Wellstone defeated Boschwitz by a nine-point margin in a three-way race. Dean Barkley received 7% of the vote[5] and was appointed by Governor Jesse Ventura to serve the last 60 days of Wellstone's term after Wellstone died in a plane crash 11 days before the 2002 election.