Election Day, Nov 3 9 daysSenate D 78%House D 93%Governors D 86%Forecast updated Oct 25

How healthy is each campaign, and how does each side win? A health score for both campaigns in every Senate, governor and contested House race, and the path to victory for each side.

Governor · Minnesota · open seat

Minnesota Governor

Amy Klobuchar vs Lisa Demuth

ForecastD +15.2
Democrat>99%
Republican<1%
RatingSafe D
Full forecast
Brief me as

Neutral view. Pick a side and the War Room briefs you as that campaign's operative.

Vital signs

Campaign health, 0 to 100, from public money, outside spending, ballots and activity
DemocratAmy KlobucharStable
660100
  • Money weight 2580

    Raised $12.5M against $3.1M for Lisa Demuth.

  • Cash weight 2085

    $3.5M in the bank against $618K for Lisa Demuth.

  • Air cover weight 1517

    Outside groups spent $1.3M helping Amy Klobuchar and $6.2M helping Lisa Demuth.

RepublicanLisa DemuthCriticalBase 34, minus 4 for liabilities
300100
  • Money weight 2520

    Raised $3.1M against $12.5M for Amy Klobuchar.

  • Cash weight 2015

    $618K in the bank against $3.5M for Amy Klobuchar.

  • Air cover weight 1583

    Outside groups spent $6.2M helping Lisa Demuth and $1.3M helping Amy Klobuchar.

  • −4 Outmatched five to one in cash. $618K against $3.5M.

How each side wins

From the forecast, the polls, the county map, voter groups, money and ballots
If you work for Amy Klobuchar
  1. Protect the lead

    Amy Klobuchar leads by 15.2 in the forecast and wins 99% of simulations. The cushion is about 423,051 votes; a one point swing is about 13,944 voters changing sides.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between D +8.0 and D +22.1. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. The polls

    The polls page average is D +7.9. Your best recent poll is Mason-Dixon for the Star Tribune at D +9.8; your worst is co/efficient (R) at D +5.9. 5 polls in the last 30 days.

  4. Turn out the base

    The biggest vote banks for Democrats: Hennepin, a projected net 321,822 votes; Ramsey, a projected net 131,075 votes; Dakota, a projected net 50,084 votes. Every point of extra turnout here is worth more than persuasion anywhere else.

  5. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: Anoka, D +4.5, 6.3% of the vote; Scott, R +0.3, 2.7% of the vote; Carver, R +1.3, 2.1% of the vote; Rice, D +9.3, 1.1% of the vote.

  6. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Amy Klobuchar runs furthest behind in Carver, Stearns, Wright. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  7. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: White voters, 85% of voters, 52 to 45, where a 5 point gain is worth 4.24 points; Voters who cast ballots in 2022 and 2024, 75% of voters, 55 to 40, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.75 points; Women, 54% of voters, 60 to 37, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.71 points.

  8. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Amy Klobuchar: Immigration voters 27 to 68, Small counties 40 to 56, Voters who can afford daily costs 49 to 46. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  9. The money

    $3.5M cash against $618K. Spend it early on persuasion television in the battleground counties and keep a reserve for the last week.

  10. Lisa Demuth's strongest asset

    Air cover: Outside groups spent $6.2M helping Lisa Demuth and $1.3M helping Amy Klobuchar.

If you work for Lisa Demuth
  1. Close the gap

    Lisa Demuth trails by 15.2 and wins 1% of simulations. Closing it takes about 211,525 voters switching sides, or 423,051 more net votes from new turnout.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between D +22.1 and D +8.0. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. The polls

    The polls page average is D +7.9. Your best recent poll is co/efficient (R) at D +5.9; your worst is Mason-Dixon for the Star Tribune at D +9.8. 5 polls in the last 30 days.

  4. Turn out the base

    The biggest vote banks for Republicans: Stearns, a projected net 16,462 votes; Wright, a projected net 16,392 votes; Sherburne, a projected net 12,724 votes. Every point of extra turnout here is worth more than persuasion anywhere else.

  5. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: Anoka, D +4.5, 6.3% of the vote; Scott, R +0.3, 2.7% of the vote; Carver, R +1.3, 2.1% of the vote; Rice, D +9.3, 1.1% of the vote.

  6. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Lisa Demuth runs furthest behind in St. Louis, Chisago, Otter Tail. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  7. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: White voters, 85% of voters, 45 to 52, where a 5 point gain is worth 4.24 points; Voters who cast ballots in 2022 and 2024, 75% of voters, 40 to 55, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.75 points; Women, 54% of voters, 37 to 60, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.71 points.

  8. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Lisa Demuth: Black voters 7 to 90, Asian and other voters 17 to 80, Health care and Social Security voters 24 to 71. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  9. The money

    $618K cash against $3.5M. Outspent: lean on earned media, digital, field and the outside groups, and pick the two or three media markets that decide it.

  10. Amy Klobuchar's strongest asset

    Cash: $3.5M in the bank against $618K for Lisa Demuth.

The map for Klobuchar

County projections from the forecast
Vote banksWhere the biggest net margins come from
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
HennepinD +50.622.8%+321,822
RamseyD +53.08.9%+131,075
DakotaD +22.68%+50,084
St. LouisD +35.03.7%+36,208
BattlegroundsLarge counties within 12 points
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
AnokaD +4.56.3%+7,977
ScottR +0.32.7%-218
CarverR +1.32.1%-770
RiceD +9.31.1%+2,949
Behind the 2024 mapRunning furthest behind the last presidential vote
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
CarverR +1.32.1%-770
StearnsR +22.22.7%-16,462
WrightR +22.82.6%-16,392

The coalition

Klobuchar against Demuth among the groups that can move it, from the forecast's voter group estimates
Swing groups
  • White voters85% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 4.2
    5245
  • Voters who cast ballots in 2022 and 202475% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 3.8
    5540
  • Women54% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.7
    6037
  • Voters without a degree51% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.6
    5244
Weakest groups
  • Immigration voters10% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 0.5
    2768
  • Small counties27% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 1.4
    4056
  • Voters who can afford daily costs40% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.0
    4946
KlobucharDemuth

Scouting report

From the Watchdog people files, each line with its source
Amy Klobuchar

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

Lisa Demuth

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

The forecast

Margin over recent runs
R +2.0D +16.121 runs agonow
Now
D +15.2
8 in 10 land between
D +22.1 and D +8.0
Polling average
D +7.9
Partisan lean
D +5.8
Early vote effect
Even

Recent polls

Last 45 days
PollsterDays agoSampleResult
KSTP/SurveyUSA3650 LVD +6.4
Mason-Dixon for the Star Tribune8800 LVD +9.8
Mason-Dixon for KARE 11/Minnesota Star Tribune8800 LVD +9.8
Morning Consult81,000 RVD +8.5
co/efficient (R)30833 LVD +5.9
KSTP/SurveyUSA31654 LVD +6.4
TIPP Insights431,201 LVD +7.8

Money and the air war

Latest reports
KlobucharDemuth
Raised$12.5M$3.1M
Spentn/an/a
Cash on hand$3.5M$618K
Outside money for$1.3M$6.2M
Google adsn/an/a
Follow the money

The early vote

Minnesota, through 2026-10-24
Ballots cast
419,189
Party data
Modeled, the state does not report party
Ballot margin
D +31.6
Forecast expected
D +32.0
Against expectation
0.4 points better for Republicans

Party registration of who has voted, not how they voted.

Open the early vote tracker

Media watch

Who is putting this race in front of an audience

Nothing logged yet for this race.

Media watch

On the trail

Rallies and events, newest first
  • 2026-11-01
    Pete Buttigieg announced in

    Announced Sunday Minnesota stop; city not given, date inferred from weekday. Source

Races that move with this one

When the polls miss here, they tend to miss there too