Minnesota is weird. Politically speaking, it’s a total unicorn. While the rest of the country looks like a chaotic patchwork of swing state drama, Minnesota just keeps its head down and votes blue for president. Every single time. Since 1972, actually. But if you just look at the Minnesota political map 2024, you might think you’re looking at two different planets.
Honestly, the "Blue Wall" in the North Star State isn't a wall at all. It’s more like a few very tall, very blue skyscrapers surrounded by an ocean of red. If you’ve spent any time driving from Minneapolis to, say, Thief River Falls, you know exactly what I mean. The 2024 election didn't just confirm this; it hammered the point home with a sledgehammer. Kamala Harris won the state by about 4.2 points, but that number hides a massive internal shift that has local political junkies sweating.
The Twin Cities vs. Everyone Else
Let’s look at the numbers. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz took home 50.9% of the vote, while Donald Trump grabbed 46.7%. On paper, that’s a comfortable win. In reality? It’s the closest a Republican has come to winning Minnesota in a while, excluding the 2016 nail-biter.
What’s really wild is how the Minnesota political map 2024 looks when you zoom in on the counties. Out of 87 counties, Harris only won a handful. We’re talking Hennepin, Ramsey, St. Louis, Olmsted, and a few others like Cook and Clay. That’s it. The rest of the map? Bright, unmistakable red.
👉 See also: How Many Representatives Do Each State Get: The Surprising Math Behind Your Vote
It’s the classic urban-rural divide, but on steroids. Hennepin County (Minneapolis) and Ramsey County (St. Paul) provide such a massive "vote bucket" for the DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) that they can essentially cancel out the rest of the state. It’s a math problem that Republicans haven’t solved yet. But they are getting closer. Trump actually flipped several counties that used to be DFL strongholds or at least competitive.
The Shocking State House Tie
While everyone was staring at the top of the ticket, something truly bizarre happened in the Minnesota House of Representatives. For the first time since 1978, the House ended up in a 67-67 tie.
Think about that. 134 seats, and it’s a dead heat.
Before the election, the DFL had a "trifecta"—they controlled the Governor’s mansion, the State Senate, and the State House. That’s how they passed all those big-ticket items like universal school meals and paid family leave. Well, that trifecta is officially dead.
The battle was fought in the suburbs and small regional centers. Take House District 14B in St. Cloud, for example. Dan Wolgamott (DFL) barely eked out a win after a recount. Or look at District 54A in Shakopee, where Brad Tabke won by a margin so thin you could see through it.
The result of this tie? Total gridlock—sorta. The two parties actually had to sit down and figure out how to share power. They eventually reached a deal where Republican Leader Lisa Demuth would serve as Speaker, but committees would be co-chaired. It’s a clunky, weird arrangement that means very little "radical" legislation is going to move through St. Paul for the next two years.
Key Takeaways from the 2024 Shifts:
- The Suburban Slide: Trump made gains in the "collar counties" around the Twin Cities—places like Anoka and Dakota.
- The Iron Range Flip: Once the heart of the DFL, the Iron Range is now firmly Republican territory. It’s a cultural shift that has been years in the making.
- Turnout was huge: Minnesota maintained its reputation for high voter turnout, hitting over 76%. People here actually show up.
Why the "Walz Factor" Didn't Quite Land
You’d think having the sitting Governor on the national ticket would lead to a blowout, right? That’s what the DFL was hoping for. But the Minnesota political map 2024 shows that Tim Walz didn't exactly provide a massive home-field advantage.
In fact, the state shifted about 3% to the right compared to 2020.
Voters in Greater Minnesota, where Walz grew up and used to represent in Congress, largely stayed with Trump. There’s a feeling in the rural parts of the state that the DFL has become too "Minneapolis-centric." Whether that’s fair or not doesn’t really matter—it’s the perception that’s driving the map's colors.
The Congressional Stalemate
Over in the U.S. House, things stayed exactly the same. Boring, right? Maybe. But the stability is telling.
- District 1: Brad Finstad (R) kept the southern tier red.
- District 2: Angie Craig (D) held onto her "swing" seat in the southern suburbs. She’s basically the gold standard for how a Democrat wins in a purple area.
- District 3: Kelly Morrison (D) easily kept the western suburbs blue.
- District 5: Ilhan Omar (D) crushed it in Minneapolis. No surprises there.
- District 7 & 8: Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber kept the west and north deeply red.
Basically, the congressional boundaries are drawn in a way that makes it very hard for the map to change unless there’s a massive wave. And 2024 wasn't a wave; it was more like a series of tug-of-wars where everyone ended up exactly where they started.
What This Means for 2026 and Beyond
If you’re looking at the Minnesota political map 2024 and trying to guess what’s next, keep your eyes on the 2026 midterms. That’s when the Governor’s seat is up again.
The 2024 data shows a state that is deeply polarized. The "middle" is shrinking. The suburbs are the only place left where candidates have to actually talk to people who disagree with them. If Republicans can continue their slow grind into the Twin Cities suburbs, Minnesota might actually become a true "toss-up" state in our lifetime.
For now, though, it’s a state of two realities. You’ve got the high-density, high-education blue core, and the sprawling, working-class red periphery.
Actionable Insights for Following Minnesota Politics
If you want to stay ahead of the curve on how the political landscape is shifting, don't just look at the big "Blue Minnesota" headlines. Do this instead:
- Watch the "Collar Counties": Keep a close eye on Dakota and Anoka county local elections. These are the "canaries in the coal mine" for statewide shifts.
- Monitor Special Elections: With a 67-67 tie in the House, every single special election becomes a national event. If one seat flips, the whole power balance in St. Paul changes.
- Check the Secretary of State's Precinct Data: If you really want to nerd out, the Minnesota Secretary of State website has precinct-level maps. You can see how your specific neighborhood voted, which is often way more revealing than the county-wide totals.
- Follow Non-Partisan Analysis: Outlets like MinnPost or the Center of the American Experiment (though right-leaning) provide much deeper dives into the "why" behind the map than national news ever will.
The 2024 map isn't just a record of who won; it's a blueprint for the battles coming in 2026. Whether you're in a red township or a blue ward, the math is getting tighter, and the stakes in the North Star State have never been higher.