2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota

United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2002

November 5, 2002

Nominee Norm Coleman Walter Mondale Jim Moore Party Republican Democratic (DFL) Independence Popular vote 1,116,697 1,067,246 45,139 Percentage 49.53% 47.34% 2.00%

County Results

Senator before election Dean Barkley Independence Elected Senator Norm Coleman Republican

The 2002 Minnesota U.S. Senate election took place on November 5, 2002, and was between incumbent Paul Wellstone and Mayor of Saint Paul Norm Coleman. Eleven days prior to the election, on October 25, 2002 Wellstone was killed in a plane crash. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) chose former Vice President and 1984 Presidential candidate Walter Mondale to replace Wellstone on the ballot. Coleman narrowly beat Mondale 50% to 47%. The day before the election, Governor Jesse Ventura had appointed Dean Barkley to serve the rest of Wellstone's term.

Democratic primary

Incumbent Senator Wellstone easily beat his challenger Dick Franson 92.53 percent to 4.94 percent. Franson had run in three primary races.

Republican primary

Saint Paul Mayor Norm Coleman easily beat his challenger Jack Shepard 95 percent to 5 percent.

General election

At the time of his death, Wellstone was slightly ahead in the polls. After Walter Mondale was chosen as the DFL candidate, in a poll taken a few days before the election Mondale was leading 51% to 45%. Early on Election Day, Mondale was leading in votes. By nightfall, however, Norm Coleman pulled ahead, winning by 49.5 percent to 47.3 percent.

2002 Minnesota U.S. Senate Election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Norm Coleman	1,116,697	49.53%	+8.25%
	Democratic (DFL)	Walter Mondale	1,067,246	47.34%	−2.98%
	Independence	Jim Moore	45,139	2.00%	−4.98%
	Democratic (DFL)	Paul Wellstone	11,381	0.50%	n/a
	Green	Ray Tricomo	10,119	0.48%	n/a
	Constitution	Miro Drago Kovatchevich	2,254	0.10%	n/a
	Write-ins		1,803	0.80%	n/a
Majority			49,451	2.19%
Turnout			2,254,639	80.26%