Minnesota precinct caucuses offer first venue for voters in chock-full 2026 campaign
Scrambled races for the U.S. Senate and Minnesota governor and an ongoing immigration operation lend to more unpredictability in Tuesday’s precinct caucuses that serve as the starting line for voters and a possible winnowing point for candidates.
In the last month alone: Gov. Tim Walz abandoned his campaign for a third term and left the DFL nomination open; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar moved to fill that governor’s race void for her party; a notable GOP candidate dropped out and cited fallout from the federal deportation push as a cause.
The U.S. Senate race for a seat that will come open due to Sen. Tina Smith’s upcoming retirement also saw some new additions. Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya started a campaign after national Republican recruiting efforts.
The immigration crackdown stirred tensions on the DFL side as two leading candidates — Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig — feuded over federal immigration laws.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/01/minnesota-precinct-caucuses-offer-first-venue-for-voters-in-chockfull-2026-campaign