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 Election results by county Election results by congressional districtMinnesota results Marco Rubio 30-40% 40-50% Ted Cruz 30-40% Donald J. Trump Tie | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The2016 Minnesota Republican presidential caucuses were held on March 1, 2016, as part of theRepublican Party's series ofpresidential primaries. This event was part of theSuper Tuesday elections, the day on which the greatest number of states hold primaries and caucuses. TheDemocratic Party held itsMinnesota caucuses on the same day.
The results were notable because it was the only state that was won byFlorida senatorMarco Rubio. He won 36.5% of the popular vote and received 17 national delegates. He had a particularly strong showing in the3rd,4th, and5th congressional districts.[1] Rubio's success in Minnesota followed a substantial campaigning effort in the state, including a rally inAnoka County on the day of the caucus.
Minnesota was also one of the rare states where then-candidateDonald Trump finished in third place, behind both Rubio andTexas senatorTed Cruz. Analysts attributed Rubio's success in Minnesota to several factors, including the state's caucus format, which tends to favor candidates with strong organizational structures and active, engaged supporters. Additionally, the high proportion ofcollege-educated voters in Minnesota was seen as favorable to Rubio, who tended to perform well with this demographic.[2]
The Minnesota caucus experienced a high voter turnout, with reports of many attending a caucus for the first time. This surge led to organizational difficulties, such as overcrowding and ballot shortages. In some locations, volunteers struggled to manage the influx of participants.[3]
| Poll | MoE | Date(s) | Rubio | Cruz | Trump | Carson | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Tribune/Mason-Dixon[4] | ± 6.5% | Jan. 18–20, 2016 | 23% | 21% | 18% | 11% | 27%[a] |
| KSTP[5] | ± 4.4% | Oct. 29–Nov. 2, 2015 | 16% | 4% | 26% | 19% | 35%[b] |
| PPP[6] | ± 5.2% | Jul. 30–Aug. 2, 2015 | 5% | 7% | 18% | 11% | 63%[c] |
| Suffolk[7] | ± 10% | Apr. 24–28, 2014 | 8.1% | 9.2% | N/a | 4.6% | 78.2%[d] |
Florida senator Marco Rubio emerged as the winner of the caucus, securing 41,126 (36.5%) votes, which translated to 17 delegates. Ted Cruz, senator from Texas, came in second with 32,684 (29.0%) votes, earning 13 delegates. Donald J. Trump, who was leading in most other Republican Super Tuesday states, came in third place in Minnesota with 24,018 (21.3%) votes and received 8 delegates.
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Rubio | 41,397 | 36.24% | 17 | |
| Ted Cruz | 33,181 | 29.04% | 13 | |
| Donald Trump | 24,473 | 21.42% | 8 | |
| Ben Carson | 8,422 | 7.37% | 0 | |
| John Kasich | 6,565 | 5.75% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | 207 | 0.18% | 0 | |
| Total | 114,245 | 100.00% | 38 | |
| Source:Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State | ||||
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