2002 Minnesota gubernatorial election

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Nominee Tim Pawlenty Roger Moe Tim Penny Party Republican Democratic (DFL) Independence Running mate Carol Molnau Julie Sabo Martha Robertson Popular vote 999,473 821,268 364,534 Percentage 44.4% 36.5% 16.2%

County results Precinct results Pawlenty:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Moe:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Penny:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Tie:     20–30%     30–40%     40–50%     50%

Governor before election Jesse Ventura Independence Elected Governor Tim Pawlenty Republican

The2002 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002 for the post ofgovernor of Minnesota.Republican candidateTim Pawlenty defeatedDemocratic candidateRoger Moe andIndependence Party of Minnesota candidateTim Penny. Incumbent GovernorJesse Ventura chose not to seek re-election. Pawlenty comfortably won the election, which was attributed in part to Moe's uninspired campaign, with Moe having been dubbed a "cautious dullard" four years later by theCity Pages.^[1]

• Leslie Davis, formerMinneapolis mayoral candidate in 1994
• Tim Pawlenty, majority leader of theMinnesota House of Representatives

In May 2002, the DFL formally endorsed Moe over rivalJudi Dutcher, theMinnesota State Auditor.Becky Lourey, a member of theMinnesota Senate, was also a contender before dropping out.^[2]

• Roger Moe, majority leader of theMinnesota Senate
• Oloveuse S. "Ole" Savior, artist andperennial candidate.

Polls indicated a dead heat between Penny, Moe, and Pawlenty less than a month before the election. A poll by theStar Tribune had Moe and Penny tied at 27%, and Pawlenty ahead with 29%.^[3]

• Benton (largest city:Sauk Rapids)
• Blue Earth (largest city:Mankato)
• Chisago (largest city:North Branch)
• Cottonwood (largest city:Windom)
• Dakota (largest city:Hastings)
• Goodhue (largest city:Red Wing)
• Grant (largest city:Elbow Lake)
• Isanti (largest city:Cambridge)
• Kanabec (largest city:Mora)
• Kandiyohi (largest city:Willmar)
• Le Sueur (largest city:Le Sueur)
• McLeod (largest city:Hutchinson)
• Meeker (largest city:Litchfield)
• Mille Lacs (largest city:Princeton)
• Nicollet (largest city:North Mankato)
• Pope (largest city:Glenwood)
• Renville (largest city:Olivia)
• Sherburne (largest city:Elk River)
• Sibley (largest city:Gaylord)
• Stearns (largest city:St. Cloud)
• Steele (largest city:Owatonna)
• Wabasha (largest city:Lake City)
• Washington (largest city:Stillwater)
• Watonwan (largest city:St. James)
• Wright (largest city:Otsego)
• Aitkin (largest city:Aitkin)
• Pine (largest city:Pine City)
• Rice (largest city:Faribault)
• Anoka (largest city:Blaine)
• Carver (largest city:Chaska)

• Yellow Medicine (largest city:Granite Falls)
• Chippewa (largest city:Montevideo)
• Hennepin (largest city:Minneapolis)
• Ramsey (largest city:St. Paul)
• Swift (largest city:Benson)

• Beltrami (largest city:Bemidji)
• Koochiching (largest city:International Falls)
• Clearwater (largest city:Bagley)

• Olmsted (largest city:Rochester)
• Fillmore (largest city:Spring Valley)
• Freeborn (largest city:Albert Lea)

• Mower (largest city:Austin)

• List of Minnesota gubernatorial elections

• 2002 United States gubernatorial elections
• Minnesota gubernatorial elections
• 2002 Minnesota elections

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