Kamala Harris Wins MN, Trump Wins White House: AP

ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota was last won by Republicans in a presidential election in 1972 when Richard Nixon carried the state. Since then, Minnesota has voted for Democratic candidates in every presidential election, making it the state with the longest Democratic winning streak in the U.S.

Donald Trump came closer than any Republican before him to flipping the state red in 2016. Hillary Clinton won Minnesota in 2016 by less than 2 percent of the vote. Joe Biden won Minnesota more handling, earning 52.4 percent of votes to Trump's 45.28 percent.

And for the 2024 election, Minnesota held blue once again.

Despite this, Trump is projected to retake the White House for a second term, the Associated Press projects.

As of 2:57 a.m. Wednesday, Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz were leading Trump, and the Associated Press called the race in their favor:

Counties Reporting: 85 of 87
Counties Complete: 74

Precincts Reporting in State: 93.93% 3,854 of 4,103
Last Updated: 11/06/24 2:57 AM

Republican, Donald J. Trump and JD Vance

1,368,056
45.97%

Democratic-Farmer-Labor. Kamala D. Harris and Tim Walz
1,534,532
51.56%

• For full coverage of the election in Minnesota, go here.

Back in March, during the Republican presidential primary, Trump called into a Minnesota conservative talk radio show and falsely claimed that he won Minnesota in the 2020 election.

"Since you have time and you're talking to the Ox, I got to think that maybe after disappointing years in 16 and 20, that you think you have a shot at winning Minnesota this year?" the host asked.

"Well, I thought we won it last time, I'll be honest," Trump said. "And I think we did win it. And it's very interesting. Bad things happened with Minnesota."

But Gov. Tim Walz’s addition to the Democratic ticket is poised to solidify Minnesota’s status as a Democratic stronghold in the 2024 election.

Harris tapped Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, hoping that Walz could help her campaign connect with small-town and rural voters, particularly in the Midwest.

It will become clear Tuesday night if Harris made the right pick, or miscalculated. Harris’ poll numbers actually sunk in Minnesota since Walz was chosen as running mate.

Some analysts believe Harris’s decision to select Walz as her running mate may not have been the wisest political move, particularly as scrutiny around his leadership intensified during the campaign. Walz was strongly criticized for his handling of the 2020 George Floyd protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Walz also took heat for the "Feeding Our Future" scandal, where over $250 million in federal pandemic relief funds meant for child nutrition programs were siphoned off through fraudulent schemes in Minnesota.

And Walz's highly progressive track record, while resonating with many Democrats, also provided Republicans with ample ammunition to portray him as a far-left extremist. On hot-button issues such as transgender rights, menstrual product access, and abortion, his stances have drawn fierce criticism from conservatives, who argue that his policies are out of touch with mainstream voters. This has made him an easy target for attacks from the right, complicating his broader appeal.

But Democrats hoped Walz’s folksy, down-to-earth manner, his background as a high school teacher and National Guard veteran allow him to connect with communities that might otherwise be skeptical of more polished politicians.