Minnesota U.S. Senate A- Race of the Day

69 Days Until Election Day

Minnesota U.S. Senate A

Status: Democrat Incumbent
2016 Presidential Result: Blue State (Midwest)

Outlook: Safe Democrat

There will not be a ton of attention paid nationally, or likely at home, to the regularly scheduled Senate race in Minnesota. This is one of two states which will see both U.S. Senate seats up for grabs. The other one in Minnesota will be a special election where the winner will serve just to 2021.

Democrat Amy Klobuchar won an open seat in the Senate by a solid margin in 2006, and then was reelected in a landslide in 2012 against a weak Republican opponent. This year is looking similar, as she seeks a third term. Klobuchar is one of many Democrats that are talked about as far as having Presidential ambitions. She may indeed be a credible candidate, living next door to Iowa and all, but may not have the strict partisan-fighter instincts that many activists want to see.

Her opponent in November will be State Representative Jim Newberger. A paramedic by trade, the lawmaker from a rural area ran into some controversy by remarks made on the House floor in 2015 when he seemed to joke about establishing a commuter rail line from a heavily minority area. He was officially endorsed at the Republican Party convention and then easily won the August primary with 70 percent of the vote. Perhaps owing to the state's Scandanavian heritage, two little known primary candidates named Anderson finished in second and third. The more successful of which, with 16 percent of the vote was Merrill Anderson, described as a retired public relations professional.

Pockets of Republican strength exist in Minnesota, but Democrats always have the edge there in federal races and this year, Klobuchar will have a massive financial and organizational advantage over her opponent.

U.S. Senate races predicted thus far: 
10 D (7 Safe, 2 Likely, 1 Tossup), 
2 R (2 Tossup)

Total with predictions thus far:
33 D (23 holdovers, 7 Safe, 2 Likely, 1 Tossup)
44 R (42 holdovers, 2 Tossup)