2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota

2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota

← 1996 November 5, 2002 2008 →

Nominee Norm Coleman Walter Mondale (replaced Paul Wellstone on the ballot) Party Republican Democratic (DFL) Popular vote 1,116,697 1,067,246 Percentage 49.53% 47.34%

County results Precinct results Coleman:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Mondale:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Moore:      40–50% Wellstone:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Write-ins:      40–50%      >90% Tie:      30–40%      40–50%      50%      No votes

U.S. senator before election Dean Barkley[a] Independence Elected U.S. Senator Norm Coleman Republican

Elections in Minnesota
General elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026
Federal elections Presidential elections 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 Dem 2004 Dem 2008 Dem Rep 2012 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem Rep 2024 Dem Rep LMN Senate elections Class 1 1858 1863 1869 1875 1881 1886 1892 1899 1901 (sp) 1905 1911 1916 1922 1928 1934 1940 1946 1952 1958 1964 1970 1976 1978 (sp) 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 2024 Class 2 1858 1865 1871 (sp) 1871 1877 1881 (sp) 1883 1888 1895 1901 1907 1913 1918 1923 (sp) 1924 1930 1936 (sp) 1936 1942 (sp) 1942 1948 1954 1960 1966 1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2018 (sp) 2020 2026 House of Representatives 1849 (Terr) 1850 (Terr) 1852 (Terr) 1854 (Terr) 1856 (Terr) 1857 1859 1860 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1929 5th sp 7th sp 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1977 7th sp 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 5th 6th 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 1st sp 2024 2026
State executive elections Gubernatorial elections 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 Secretary of State elections 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 State Auditor elections 1857 1863 1869 1875 1881 1886 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Attorney General elections 1857 1859 1861 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1883 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026
State legislative elections Senate elections 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1976 1980 1982 1986 1990 1992 1996 2000 2002 2006 2010 2012 2016 2020 2022 2026 House of Representatives elections 1910 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 Special elections Senate House of Representatives
Ballot questions 2012 Amendment 1 Amendment 2
Minneapolis General elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 Mayoral elections 1957 1959 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 City Council elections 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2023 2025 City ballot questions Question 2 (2021)
Saint Paul Mayoral elections 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
v t e

The 2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Senator Paul Wellstone was running for a third term but died in a plane crash eleven days before the election. The Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) quickly chose former Vice President and 1984 presidential nominee Walter Mondale to replace Wellstone on the ballot. Mondale had previously held the seat from 1964 to 1976, resigning to assume the vice presidency. He narrowly lost to Republican Norm Coleman, the former mayor of Saint Paul. The day before the election, Governor Jesse Ventura appointed the 1996 Independence Party candidate, Dean Barkley, to serve the remainder of Wellstone's term.^[1]

This is the last time in a midterm election that the party controlling the White House flipped a Senate seat in a state they did not win in the preceding presidential election. This marked the first election that Mondale had lost in Minnesota, as he had even narrowly carried it against Ronald Reagan in his landslide defeat in the 1984 United States presidential election, where he lost 49 states, winning only Minnesota and the District of Columbia. As a result of his defeat in this election, Mondale became the first, and so far only, major-party candidate in American history to have lost a general election in every single state. As of 2024, this is the last time a Republican won a U.S. Senate election in Minnesota, and the only time since 1994.

Paul Wellstone defeated Dick Franson 93% to 5%.

Following Wellstone's death 11 days prior to Election Day, the DFL Party nominated Walter Mondale as its replacement candidate.

Norm Coleman defeated Jack Shepard 95% to 5%.

• Norm Coleman, former mayor of Saint Paul and nominee for governor in 1998 (Republican)
• Miro Drago Kovatchevick, systems analyst from Minneapolis (Constitution)
• Walter Mondale, former Vice President of the United States and United States Senator (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
• Jim Moore, commercial banker from Minneapolis (Independent)
• Ray Tricomo, professor from Oakdale (Green)

• Paul Wellstone, incumbent Senator since 1991 (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) (died October 25)

Mondale campaigned on his experience, and promised more education for students, more safety for seniors, and to "continue Wellstone's fight for people". Coleman campaigned on more jobs, less taxes, a promise of "a brighter future for Minnesota", and to "help change the tone in Washington D.C."^[2]

At the time of his death, Wellstone was slightly ahead in the polls. After Mondale was chosen as the DFL candidate, he led 47% to 39% in a poll taken a few days before the election.^[3]

Four days after Wellstone's death, a televised public memorial drew significant backlash for a tone that was widely characterized as more appropriate for a "political rally"^[4]—a story that dominated the final days before the election.

Early on Election Day, Mondale was leading, but by nightfall Coleman pulled ahead, winning by 2.2%.^[5] Many observers, including the event's host, former St. Paul mayor George Latimer, blamed the memorial's tone for the election result.^[6]

• Complete video of debate, October 15, 2002
• Complete video of debate, November 1, 2002
• Complete video of debate, November 4, 2002

• Anoka (largest city: Blaine)
• Blue Earth (largest city: Mankato)
• Chisago (largest city: North Branch)
• Clay (largest city: Moorhead)
• Dakota (largest city: Hastings)
• Goodhue (largest city: Red Wing)
• Isanti (largest city: Cambridge)
• Kanabec (largest city: Mora)
• Kandiyohi (largest city: Willmar)
• Le Sueur (largest city: Le Sueur)
• Mahnomen (largest city: Mahnomen)
• Marshall (largest city: Warren)
• Mille Lacs (largest city: Princeton)
• Murray (largest city: Slayton)
• Nicollet (largest city: North Mankato)
• Polk (largest city: East Grand Forks)
• Renville (largest city: Olivia)
• Stevens (largest city: Morris)
• Washington (largest city: Stillwater)
• Watonwan (largest city: St. James)

• Fillmore (largest city: Spring Valley)
• Winona (largest city: Winona)

After Coleman was declared the winner, Mondale conceded and said in his speech: "At the end of what will be my last campaign, I want to say to Minnesota, you always treated me well, you always listened to me". His loss, combined with his landslide defeat in the United States presidential election in 1984, made him the only American major-party candidate to have lost a general election in every state. Although George McGovern had also lost 49 states in the 1972 presidential election and lost the Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary in 1984, he never lost a general election in Massachusetts. Although Mondale did not seek office again, he remained active politically.

Coleman was sworn in on January 3, 2003. He served one term in the United States Senate, losing to Al Franken by a very narrow margin of just 312 votes or 0.01% in the 2008 election.

• 2002 United States Senate elections