2000 United States presidential election in Minnesota explained

Election Name:	2000 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Country:	Minnesota
Flag Year:	1983
Flag Image:	File:Flag of Minnesota (1983-2024).svg
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1996 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Previous Year:	1996
Next Election:	2004 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Next Year:	2004
Turnout:	70.11%^[1]
Election Date:	November 7, 2000
Image1:	Al Gore, Vice President of the United States, official portrait 1994.jpg
Nominee1:	Al Gore
Party1:	Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Home State1:	Tennessee
Running Mate1:	Joe Lieberman
Electoral Vote1:	10
Popular Vote1:	1,168,266
Percentage1:	47.91%
Nominee2:	George W. Bush
Party2:	Republican Party of Minnesota
Home State2:	Texas
Running Mate2:	Dick Cheney
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	1,109,659
Percentage2:	45.50%
Image3:	Ralph Nader 1999 (cropped).jpg
Nominee3:	Ralph Nader
Party3:	Green Party of Minnesota
Home State3:	Connecticut
Running Mate3:	Winona LaDuke
Electoral Vote3:	0
Popular Vote3:	126,696
Percentage3:	5.20%
Map Size:	350px
President
Before Election:	Bill Clinton
Before Party:	Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
After Election:	George W. Bush
After Party:	Republican Party of Minnesota

The 2000 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 7, 2000, as part of the 2000 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all 50 states and D.C. Voters chose ten representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Minnesota was won by Vice President Al Gore by a 2.39% margin of victory, a much weaker performance than President Bill Clinton had in 1996, when he carried the state with 51% of the vote and a 16% margin of victory. Despite winning the state, Gore lost most of the counties and congressional districts in the state. However, Gore won highly populated counties such as Hennepin County, Ramsey County, and St. Louis County by safe margins. In terms of congressional districts, Gore won three districts including the urban 4th and 5th and won the 8th district with less than fifty percent of the vote. Bush overall dominated the rural areas, located in the western and southern parts of the state, and became the first Republican presidential nominee to win Red Lake County since Warren G. Harding in 1920.^[2] Nonetheless, he became the first ever Republican to win the White House without carrying Fillmore County. No Republican has won the state since Richard Nixon in 1972, a Democratic streak longer than any other state.^[3]

Gore carried the state by a fairly close margin, largely on the strength of his performance in the Twin Cities metro., this is the last election in which Cook County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.^[4]

Results

2000 United States presidential election in Minnesota^[5]
Party		Candidate	Running mate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic (DFL)	Al Gore	Joe Lieberman	1,168,266	47.91%	10
	Republican		Dick Cheney	1,109,659	45.50%	0
	Green	Ralph Nader	Winona LaDuke	126,696	5.20%	0
	Reform	Pat Buchanan	Ezola Foster	22,166	0.91%	0
	Libertarian	Harry Browne	Art Olivier	5,282	0.22%	0
	Constitution	Howard Phillips	J. Curtis Frazier	3,272	0.13%	0
	Natural Law	John Hagelin	A. Nat. Goldhaber	2,294	0.09%	0
		James Harris	Margaret Trowe	1,022	0.04%	0
	Write Ins			28	0.00%	0
Totals				2,438,685	100.00%	10
Voter turnout (Voting age/Registered)						67%/75%

Results by county

County	Al Gore DFL		George W. Bush Republican		Ralph Nader Green		Pat Buchanan Reform		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Aitkin		3,830		46.37%		3,755		45.46%		403		4.88%		220		2.66%		52		0.63%		75		0.91%		8,260
	Anoka		68,008		46.70%		69,256		47.56%		6,616		4.54%		1,040		0.71%		699		0.48%		-1,248		-0.86%		145,619
	Becker		5,253		36.65%		8,152		56.88%		591		4.12%		264		1.84%		73		0.51%		-2,899		-20.23%		14,333
	Beltrami		7,301		42.41%		8,346		48.48%		1,269		7.37%		211		1.23%		90		0.52%		-1,045		-6.07%		17,217
	Benton		6,009		40.31%		7,663		51.40%		862		5.78%		278		1.86%		96		0.64%		-1,654		-11.09%		14,908
	Big Stone		1,430		47.99%		1,370		45.97%		109		3.66%		59		1.98%		12		0.40%		60		2.02%		2,980
	Blue Earth		12,329		44.99%		12,942		47.23%		1,761		6.43%		238		0.87%		132		0.48%		-613		-2.24%		27,402
	Brown		4,650		36.23%		7,370		57.43%		561		4.37%		200		1.56%		53		0.41%		-2,720		-21.20%		12,834
	Carlton		8,620		57.16%		5,578		36.99%		634		4.20%		183		1.21%		66		0.44%		3,042		20.17%		15,081
	Carver		12,462		35.58%		20,790		59.36%		1,381		3.94%		221		0.63%		167		0.48%		-8,328		-23.78%		35,021
	Cass		5,534		40.71%		7,134		52.48%		663		4.88%		197		1.45%		65		0.48%		-1,600		-11.77%		13,593
	Chippewa		2,952		46.47%		2,977		46.87%		268		4.22%		113		1.78%		42		0.66%		-25		-0.40%		6,352
	Chisago		9,593		43.63%		10,937		49.74%		1,116		5.08%		239		1.09%		102		0.46%		-1,344		-6.11%		21,987
	Clay		10,128		43.36%		11,712		50.14%		963		4.12%		428		1.83%		127		0.54%		-1,584		-6.78%		23,358
	Clearwater		1,466		38.34%		2,137		55.88%		134		3.50%		69		1.80%		18		0.47%		-671		-17.54%		3,824
	Cook		1,171		41.52%		1,295		45.92%		290		10.28%		25		0.89%		39		1.38%		-124		-4.40%		2,820
	Cottonwood		2,503		40.50%		3,369		54.51%		208		3.37%		74		1.20%		27		0.44%		-866		-14.01%		6,181
	Crow Wing		11,255		40.01%		15,035		53.45%		1,314		4.67%		398		1.41%		126		0.45%		-3,780		-13.44%		28,128
	Dakota		85,446		46.88%		87,250		47.87%		7,799		4.28%		989		0.54%		765		0.42%		-1,804		-0.99%		182,249
	Dodge		3,370		41.86%		4,213		52.34%		327		4.06%		96		1.19%		44		0.55%		-843		-10.48%		8,050
	Douglas		6,352		36.92%		9,811		57.02%		746		4.34%		218		1.27%		78		0.45%		-3,459		-20.10%		17,205
	Faribault		3,624		43.02%		4,336		51.47%		309		3.67%		113		1.34%		42		0.50%		-712		-8.45%		8,424
	Fillmore		5,020		49.10%		4,646		45.45%		409		4.00%		95		0.93%		53		0.52%		374		3.65%		10,223
	Freeborn		8,514		52.75%		6,843		42.40%		555		3.44%		138		0.86%		89		0.55%		1,671		10.35%		16,139
	Goodhue		9,981		44.84%		10,852		48.76%		1,093		4.91%		233		1.05%		98		0.44%		-871		-3.92%		22,257
	Grant		1,507		41.58%		1,804		49.78%		214		5.91%		81		2.24%		18		0.50%		-297		-8.20%		3,624
	Hennepin		307,599		53.60%		225,657		39.32%		35,584		6.20%		2,300		0.40%		2,706		0.47%		81,942		14.28%		573,846
	Houston		4,502		44.28%		5,077		49.94%		421		4.14%		117		1.15%		50		0.49%		-575		-5.66%		10,167
	Hubbard		3,632		37.78%		5,307		55.21%		484		5.03%		131		1.36%		59		0.61%		-1,675		-17.43%		9,613
	Isanti		6,247		41.84%		7,668		51.36%		753		5.04%		175		1.17%		86		0.58%		-1,421		-9.52%		14,929
	Itasca		10,583		48.74%		9,545		43.96%		1,137		5.24%		296		1.36%		153		0.70%		1,038		4.78%		21,714
	Jackson		2,364		43.47%		2,773		50.99%		194		3.57%		77		1.42%		30		0.55%		-409		-7.52%		5,438
	Kanabec		2,831		41.57%		3,480		51.09%		344		5.05%		108		1.59%		48		0.70%		-649		-9.52%		6,811
	Kandiyohi		8,220		42.62%		10,026		51.99%		734		3.81%		228		1.18%		77		0.40%		-1,806		-9.37%		19,285
	Kittson		1,107		41.98%		1,353		51.31%		68		2.58%		88		3.34%		21		0.80%		-246		-9.33%		2,637
	Koochiching		2,903		42.20%		3,523		51.21%		302		4.39%		101		1.47%		50		0.73%		-620		-9.01%		6,879
	Lac qui Parle		2,244		50.39%		1,941		43.59%		160		3.59%		87		1.95%		21		0.47%		303		6.80%		4,453
	Lake		3,579		54.53%		2,465		37.56%		426		6.49%		58		0.88%		35		0.53%		1,114		16.97%		6,563
	Lake of the Woods		848		38.77%		1,216		55.60%		74		3.38%		33		1.51%		16		0.73%		-368		-16.83%		2,187
	Le Sueur		5,361		43.48%		6,138		49.78%		603		4.89%		183		1.48%		46		0.37%		-777		-6.30%		12,331
	Lincoln		1,590		48.42%		1,513		46.07%		105		3.20%		54		1.64%		22		0.67%		77		2.35%		3,284
	Lyon		4,737		41.23%		6,087		52.98%		460		4.00%		144		1.25%		61		0.53%		-1,350		-11.75%		11,489
	Mahnomen		921		41.41%		1,122		50.45%		96		4.32%		71		3.19%		14		0.63%		-201		-9.04%		2,224
	Marshall		1,910		36.74%		2,912		56.01%		160		3.08%		191		3.67%		26		0.50%		-1,002		-19.27%		5,199
	Martin		4,166		40.17%		5,686		54.83%		376		3.63%		96		0.93%		47		0.45%		-1,520		-14.66%		10,371
	McLeod		5,609		36.44%		8,782		57.05%		681		4.42%		231		1.50%		91		0.59%		-3,173		-20.61%		15,394
	Meeker		4,402		41.25%		5,520		51.72%		517		4.84%		174		1.63%		59		0.55%		-1,118		-10.47%		10,672
	Mille Lacs		4,376		42.68%		5,223		50.94%		448		4.37%		156		1.52%		50		0.49%		-847		-8.26%		10,253
	Morrison		5,274		35.93%		8,197		55.85%		633		4.31%		493		3.36%		80		0.55%		-2,923		-19.92%		14,677
	Mower		10,693		57.86%		6,873		37.19%		678		3.67%		143		0.77%		93		0.50%		3,820		20.67%		18,480
	Murray		2,093		44.04%		2,407		50.64%		149		3.13%		73		1.54%		31		0.65%		-314		-6.60%		4,753
	Nicollet		7,041		45.94%		7,221		47.11%		842		5.49%		169		1.10%		54		0.35%		-180		-1.17%		15,327
	Nobles		3,760		42.38%		4,766		53.72%		238		2.68%		72		0.81%		36		0.41%		-1,006		-11.34%		8,872
	Norman		1,575		43.26%		1,808		49.66%		123		3.38%		115		3.16%		20		0.55%		-233		-6.40%		3,641
	Olmsted		25,822		43.48%		30,641		51.59%		2,198		3.70%		369		0.62%		362		0.61%		-4,819		-8.11%		59,392
	Otter Tail		9,844		34.53%		16,963		59.50%		1,120		3.93%		450		1.58%		134		0.47%		-7,119		-24.97%		28,511
	Pennington		2,458		38.89%		3,380		53.48%		255		4.03%		193		3.05%		34		0.54%		-922		-14.59%		6,320
	Pine		6,148		47.05%		5,854		44.80%		734		5.62%		258		1.97%		74		0.57%		294		2.25%		13,068
	Pipestone		1,970		40.25%		2,693		55.03%		140		2.86%		64		1.31%		27		0.55%		-723		-14.78%		4,894
	Polk		5,764		40.76%		7,609		53.81%		369		2.61%		337		2.38%		61		0.43%		-1,845		-13.05%		14,140
	Pope		2,771		46.28%		2,808		46.90%		264		4.41%		123		2.05%		21		0.35%		-37		-0.62%		5,987
	Ramsey		138,470		56.69%		87,669		35.89%		15,522		6.35%		1,395		0.57%		1,222		0.50%		50,801		20.80%		244,278
	Red Lake		830		39.71%		1,090		52.15%		68		3.25%		88		4.21%		14		0.67%		-260		-12.44%		2,090
	Redwood		2,681		34.60%		4,589		59.23%		314		4.05%		123		1.59%		41		0.53%		-1,908		-24.63%		7,748
	Renville		3,533		43.50%		4,036		49.69%		355		4.37%		171		2.11%		27		0.33%		-503		-6.19%		8,122
	Rice		13,140		50.50%		10,876		41.80%		1,639		6.30%		234		0.90%		132		0.51%		2,264		8.70%		26,021
	Rock		2,081		41.54%		2,772		55.33%		116		2.32%		18		0.36%		23		0.46%		-691		-13.79%		5,010
	Roseau		2,128		29.70%		4,695		65.52%		176		2.46%		126		1.76%		41		0.57%		-2,567		-35.82%		7,166
	St. Louis		64,237		59.78%		35,420		32.96%		6,290		5.85%		977		0.91%		540		0.50%		28,817		26.82%		107,464
	Scott		17,503		39.97%		23,954		54.70%		1,829		4.18%		307		0.70%		200		0.46%		-6,451		-14.73%		43,793
	Sherburne		12,109		39.27%		16,813		54.53%		1,501		4.87%		289		0.94%		123		0.40%		-4,704		-15.26%		30,835
	Sibley		2,687		36.63%		4,087		55.72%		361		4.92%		156		2.13%		44		0.60%		-1,400		-19.09%		7,335
	Stearns		24,800		39.70%		32,402		51.86%		3,820		6.11%		1,131		1.81%		323		0.52%		-7,602		-12.16%		62,476
	Steele		6,900		42.95%		8,223		51.18%		697		4.34%		179		1.11%		67		0.42%		-1,323		-8.23%		16,066
	Stevens		2,434		42.32%		2,831		49.22%		393		6.83%		68		1.18%		26		0.45%		-397		-6.90%		5,752
	Swift		2,698		49.62%		2,376		43.70%		218		4.01%		118		2.17%		27		0.50%		322		5.92%		5,437
	Todd		4,132		37.25%		6,031		54.37%		485		4.37%		388		3.50%		56		0.50%		-1,899		-17.12%		11,092
	Traverse		884		41.98%		1,074		51.00%		86		4.08%		54		2.56%		8		0.38%		-190		-9.02%		2,106
	Wabasha		4,522		42.94%		5,245		49.81%		571		5.42%		136		1.29%		57		0.54%		-723		-6.87%		10,531
	Wadena		2,251		35.27%		3,733		58.49%		253		3.96%		115		1.80%		30		0.47%		-1,482		-23.22%		6,382
	Waseca		3,694		41.67%		4,608		51.99%		398		4.49%		129		1.46%		35		0.39%		-914		-10.32%		8,864
	Washington		49,637		46.39%		51,502		48.13%		4,891		4.57%		582		0.54%		397		0.37%		-1,865		-1.74%		107,009
	Watonwan		2,258		43.98%		2,562		49.90%		212		4.13%		79		1.54%		23		0.45%		-304		-5.92%		5,134
	Wilkin		1,046		31.65%		2,032		61.48%		77		2.33%		129		3.90%		21		0.64%		-986		-29.83%		3,305
	Winona		11,069		46.28%		10,773		45.04%		1,750		7.32%		190		0.79%		136		0.57%		296		1.24%		23,918
	Wright		16,762		38.65%		23,861		55.02%		1,977		4.56%		485		1.12%		281		0.65%		-7,099		-16.37%		43,366
	Yellow Medicine		2,528		45.84%		2,598		47.11%		232		4.21%		121		2.19%		36		0.65%		-70		-1.27%		5,515
Totals	1,168,266	47.91%	1,109,659	45.50%	126,696	5.20%	22,166	0.91%	11,898	0.49%	58,607	2.40%	2,438,685

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Anoka (Largest city: Blaine)
• Becker (Largest city: Detroit Lakes)
• Beltrami (Largest city: Bemidji)
• Benton (Largest city: Sauk Rapids)
• Blue Earth (Largest city: Mankato)
• Cass (Largest city: Lake Shore)
• Chippewa (Largest city: Montevideo)
• Chisago (Largest city: North Branch)
• Clay (Largest city: Moorhead)
• Clearwater (Largest city: Bagley)
• Cook (Largest city: Grand Marais)
• Cottonwood (Largest city: Windom)
• Crow Wing (Largest city: Brainerd)
• Dakota (Largest city: Hastings)
• Dodge (Largest city: Kasson)
• Faribault (Largest city: Blue Earth)
• Goodhue (Largest city: Red Wing)
• Grant (Largest city: Elbow Lake)
• Houston (Largest city: La Crescent)
• Hubbard (Largest city: Park Rapids)
• Isanti (Largest city: Cambridge)
• Jackson (Largest city: Jackson)
• Kanabec (Largest city: Mora)
• Kandiyohi (Largest city: Willmar)
• Kittson (Largest city: Hallock)
• Koochiching (Largest city: International Falls)
• Lake of the Woods (Largest city: Baudette)
• Le Sueur (Largest city: Le Sueur)
• Lyon (Largest city: Marshall)
• Mahnomen (Largest city: Mahnomen)
• Marshall (Largest city: Warren)
• Martin (Largest city: Fairmont)
• McLeod (Largest city: Hutchinson)
• Meeker (Largest city: Litchfield)
• Mille Lacs (Largest city: Princeton)
• Morrison (Largest city: Little Falls)
• Murray (Largest city: Slayton)
• Nicollet (Largest city: North Mankato)
• Nobles (Largest city: Worthington)
• Norman (Largest city: Ada)
• Pennington (Largest city: Thief River Falls)
• Polk (Largest city: East Grand Forks)
• Pope (Largest city: Glenwood)
• Red Lake (Largest city: Red Lake Falls)
• Renville (Largest city: Olivia)
• Scott (Largest city: Shakopee)
• Sherburne (Largest city: Elk River)
• Sibley (Largest city: Gaylord)
• Stearns (Largest city: St. Cloud)
• Steele (Largest city: Owatonna)
• Stevens (Largest city: Morris)
• Todd (Largest city: Long Prairie)
• Traverse (Largest city: Wheaton)
• Wabasha (Largest city: Lake City)
• Waseca (Largest city: Waseca)
• Washington (Largest city: Stillwater)
• Watonwan (Largest city: St. James)
• Wright (Largest city: Otsego)
• Yellow Medicine (Largest city: Granite Falls)

By congressional district

Bush won 5 of 8 congressional districts, including two held by Democrats.^[6]

District	Gore	Bush	Representative
		46%	48%		Gil Gutknecht
	40%	54%		David Minge
			Mark Kennedy
		45%	50%		Jim Ramstad
	56%	36%		Bruce Vento
			Betty McCollum
		63%	28%		Martin Olav Sabo
		46%	48%		Bill Luther
		39%	54%		Collin Peterson
		49%	44%		Jim Oberstar

Electors

See main article: List of 2000 United States presidential electors.

Technically the voters of Minnesota cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Minnesota is allocated ten electors because it has eight congressional districts and two senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 10 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 10 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 18, 2000^[7] to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for Gore and Lieberman:^[8]

1. Carol Bartels
2. Prudy Cameron
3. Joan Campbell
4. Elmer Deutschmann
5. Elizabeth Kalisch
6. Matthew Little
7. Glenda Meixell
8. John Meuers
9. Janis Ray
10. Georgiana Ruzich

See also

• United States presidential elections in Minnesota

Notes and References

1. Web site: Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State. www.sos.state.mn.us. en. 2017-07-22.
2. Menendez, Albert J. The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 121
3. Web site: Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Minnesota. Dave Leip. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
4. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
5. Web site: 2000 Presidential General Election Results - Minnesota.
6. https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/data.php?year=2000&fips=27&f=0&off=0&elect=0&datatype=cd&def=1 2000 Presidential General Election Results - Minnesota
7. Web site: 2000 Post-Election Timeline of Events.
8. Web site: President Elect - 2000 . 2009-10-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120212174238/http://presidentelect.org/e2000.html . 2012-02-12 . dead .