Johnson leads Finstad by 323 votes in tight Minnesota race

Democrat Jake Johnson holds a lead of 323 votes over Republican Brad Finstad in Minnesota's First Congressional District. Unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State's office place Johnson at 49.99 percent of the vote, just 0.1 percentage points ahead of Finstad, who has 49.89 percent. The Associated Press has not yet called the race.

The narrow margin qualifies the contest for a publicly funded recount under state law if Finstad requests it. University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs noted that the close race will draw intense scrutiny from both campaigns. Finstad has not yet indicated whether he will seek a recount, though he told reporters in Sleepy Eye early Wednesday that he remained optimistic about the outcome.

Johnson, a 43-year-old former high school math teacher and first-time candidate, declared victory early Wednesday morning. He spent the evening at an event center in Rochester with hundreds of supporters. He cited his grassroots strategy, which included 21 town hall meetings across the district. Johnson said his volunteers knocked on tens of thousands of doors until polls closed at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Finstad, a 50-year-old fourth-generation farmer and former USDA official, has held the seat since winning a special election in 2022. He previously served as a state representative and won the district by 17 points two years ago. His campaign focused on government fraud and criticized the negative advertising that accompanied the race. Finstad said voters are tired of dysfunction in politics and want adults in the room.

The district stretches along the Mississippi River from Red Wing to the Iowa border and west to the South Dakota border. It was previously considered safe for Republicans. Polls in recent weeks showed Johnson gaining ground as he attacked Finstad for supporting data centers, cutting Medicaid and SNAP funding, and backing the war with Iran. Johnson argued that Finstad's positions contributed to soaring gas and diesel prices.

Millions of dollars in outside money poured into the race as the gap narrowed. Johnson credited his approach with helping him surpass expectations. He said his team continued door-knocking right up until the polls closed. He described the effort as neighbors talking to neighbors, with Republicans, Independents, and Democrats working together to reject corruption.

Jacobs explained that the recount process involves physically examining and hand-counting every ballot. Representatives from each campaign watch as poll workers sort ballots into piles for each candidate. The process can take a month to complete. Jacobs said that while a lead of a few dozen votes could be reversed, a margin in the hundreds generally holds in Minnesota.

Johnson said he went to Congress to bring down the cost of living, tackle corruption, and invest in southern Minnesota. He noted that pundits told him the upset could not be done. He added that his team shrugged and did it anyway. Finstad and his campaign have not responded to an interview request regarding the recount decision.