United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2002

United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2002

1996 ← November 5, 2002 → 2008

Nominee Norm Coleman Walter Mondale Party Republican DFL Popular vote 1,116,697 1,067,246 Percentage 49.5% 47.3%

County results

U.S. Senator before election Dean Barkley Independence Elected U.S. Senator Norm Coleman Republican

The 2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone was running for re-election to a third term, but died in a plane crash eleven days before the election. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) chose former Vice President and 1984 Presidential candidate Walter Mondale to replace Wellstone on the ballot. Mondale lost to Republican Mayor of Saint Paul Norm Coleman. The day before the election, independent Governor Jesse Ventura had appointed Dean Barkley to serve the rest of Wellstone's term.

Primary elections

DFL

Paul Wellstone defeated Dick Franson 93% to 5%.

Republican

Norm Coleman defeated Jack Shepard 95% to 5%.

General election

Major candidates

• Norm Coleman (R), Mayor of Saint Paul
• Paul Wellstone* (D), incumbent U.S. Senator

* Replaced by former Vice President Walter Mondale

Campaign

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.

Results

General election results
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Norm Coleman	1,116,697	49.53%	+8.25%
	DFL	Walter Mondale	1,067,246	47.34%	-2.98%
	Independence	Jim Moore	45,139	2.00%	-4.98%
	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%