Elections

A federal judge in Brownsville, Texas, denied Minnesota's emergency request to keep ICE agent Christian Castro jailed, and Castro was released from Cameron County Jail after reaching Texas' 90-day pre-extradition limit on Thursday, August 27. FOX 9

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, declined felony charges against Edward "Jake" Lang in connection with his Minneapolis rally arrest, saying prosecutors could not prove required intent. FOX 9

A federal judge in Minnesota dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought the state's full voter registration list, blocking federal access to private voter data. FOX 9

State election officials are reviewing video that shows conservative influencer Cameron Higby, disguised in a niqab, trying to vouch for or cast other Minneapolis voters' ballots on primary day. FOX 9

Republican Lisa Demuth and Democrat U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar won Minnesota's gubernatorial primaries Tuesday, setting up the state's first woman-vs-woman general election this November. FOX 9

Lisa Demuth won the Republican primary for Minnesota governor on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. FOX 9 Her victory sets up a general election matchup with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and guarantees Minnesota will elect its first woman governor. FOX 9

Michele Tafoya won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Minnesota's primary on August 11. FOX 9

Peggy Flanagan won the DFL nomination for Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat in the August 11 primary, putting her on the ballot for the November general election. FOX 9

Scott Jensen defeated GOP-endorsed Nate George to win the Republican primary for Minnesota state auditor, setting up a November matchup with Democrat Zack Filipovich. FOX 9

Matt Little won the DFL primary in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, and will face Republican Rep. Eric Pratt in the November general election. Minnesotareformer

On Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, Department of Justice observers were denied entry to polling sites in Hennepin and Ramsey counties in the Twin Cities, prompting state officials to outline an alternate monitoring plan. FOX 9

On Friday, August 7, 2026, a Minnesota judge found probable cause that Mike Lindell violated state campaign-finance bribery rules by handing out MyPillows at the July 4 Delano parade. FOX 9

Mike Lindell released a campaign plan calling for the elimination of Minnesota's state income tax, a proposal he says would be funded by deep cuts to education and health care. Minnesotareformer

Mike Lindell resigned as MyPillow CEO on Aug. 4, 2026, reduced his stake to a minority and will remain on the company's board to focus on Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial primary. FOX 9

Vance Boelter raised health and religious-rights complaints at his first Hennepin County state-court appearance on August 3 as prosecutors restart state murder charges, and the judge delayed any substantive rulings. FOX 9

Nicole Mitchell has filed with the Minnesota Secretary of State to run for a Woodbury City Council seat in the November 2026 election. FOX 9

Donald Trump endorsed MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor via a Truth Social post Wednesday morning, injecting his backing into the Republican primary and potentially reshaping a competitive three-way race. FOX 9

The White House removed all three sitting commissioners of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission effective July 9, 2026, leaving the agency without a quorum and unable to act. FOX 9

A state audit found Minnesota counties missed deadlines and made errors while processing voter registration applications, though most registrations were processed within legal time frames, the report shows. FOX 9