Minnesota's 5th congressional district

Minnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties. Besides Minneapolis, major cities in the district include Brooklyn Center, St. Louis Park, Richfield, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, New Hope, Fridley, and a small portion of Edina.

It was created in 1883, and was nicknamed the "Bloody Fifth" on account of its first election. The contest between Knute Nelson and Charles F. Kindred involved graft, intimidation, and election fraud at every turn. The Republican convention on July 12 in Detroit Lakes was compared to the historic Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. One hundred and fifty delegates fought over eighty seats. After a scuffle in the main conference center, the Kindred and Nelson campaigns nominated each of their candidates.

The district is strongly Democratic, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index (CPVI) of D+32 — by far the most Democratic district in the state. The 5th is also the most Democratic district in the Upper Midwest. The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) has held the seat without interruption since 1963, and the Republicans have not tallied more than 40 percent of the vote in almost half a century. The 5th district is one of the most diverse in Minnesota; 16% of the district's residents are immigrants, the highest of any district in Minnesota, with the largest countries of origin being Somalia, Ethiopia, Mexico, India, Laos, Ecuador, and Liberia. The district also has the largest population of Somali Americans in the country, with Somalis making up 3% of the district's population.

The district is represented by Ilhan Omar, who is the first Somali–American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in that chamber. Omar, also an American Muslim, succeeded Keith Ellison, the first American Muslim to serve in Congress, after he was elected Minnesota attorney general.

Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 74% - 24% SenateFranken 61% - 25%2010 GovernorDayton 64% - 24% Secretary of StateRitchie 70% - 26% AuditorOtto 68% - 27% Attorney GeneralSwanson 72% - 23%2012 PresidentObama 74% - 24% SenateKlobuchar 79% - 17%2014 SenateFranken 74% - 22% GovernorDayton 71% - 23% Secretary of StateSimon 70% - 23% AuditorOtto 70% - 20% Attorney GeneralSwanson 69% - 19%2016 PresidentClinton 73% - 18%2018 Senate (Reg.)Klobuchar 81% - 15% Senate (Spec.)Smith 77% - 18% GovernorWalz 78% - 18% Secretary of StateSimon 78% - 18% AuditorBlaha 73% - 19% Attorney GeneralEllison 74% - 20%2020 PresidentBiden 80% - 17% SenateSmith 74% - 18%2022 GovernorWalz 81% - 16% Secretary of StateSimon 83% - 17% AuditorBlaha 76% - 18% Attorney GeneralEllison 80% - 20%2024 PresidentHarris 79% - 18% SenateKlobuchar 82% - 15%

Composition For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties, townships, and municipalities:

Anoka County (4)

Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop, Spring Lake Park (part; also 4th; shared with Ramsey County)

Hennepin County (10)

Brooklyn Center, Crystal, Edina (part; also 3rd), Golden Valley, Minneapolis, New Hope, Richfield, Robbinsdale, St. Anthony (shared with Ramsey County), St. Louis Park

Ramsey County (1)

St. Anthony (shared with Hennepin County)

List of members representing the district Member Party Years Congress Electoral history District location District created March 4, 1883 Knute Nelson Republican March 4, 1883 –March 3, 1889 Elected in 1882.Re-elected in 1884.Re-elected in 1886.Retired. 1883–1893 Solomon Comstock Republican March 4, 1889 –March 3, 1891 Elected in 1888.Lost re-election. Kittel Halvorson Populist March 4, 1891 –March 3, 1893 Elected in 1890.Lost re-election. Loren Fletcher Republican March 4, 1893 –March 3, 1903 Elected in 1892.Re-elected in 1894.Re-elected in 1896.Re-elected in 1898.Re-elected in 1900.Lost re-election. 1893–1903 John Lind Democratic March 4, 1903 –March 3, 1905 Elected in 1902.Retired. 1903–1913 Loren Fletcher Republican March 4, 1905 –March 3, 1907 Elected in 1904.Retired. Frank Nye Republican March 4, 1907 –March 3, 1913 Elected in 1906.Re-elected in 1908.Re-elected in 1910.Retired. George Ross Smith Republican March 4, 1913 –March 3, 1917 Elected in 1912.Re-elected in 1914.Lost re-election. 1913–1933 Ernest Lundeen Republican March 4, 1917 –March 3, 1919 Elected in 1916.Lost renomination. Walter Newton Republican March 4, 1919 –June 30, 1929 Elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Re-elected in 1922.Re-elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Resigned when appointed Secretary to President Herbert Hoover. Vacant June 30, 1929 –July 17, 1929 William I. Nolan Republican July 17, 1929 –March 3, 1933 Elected to finish Newton's term.Re-elected in 1930.Redistricted to the and lost re-election. District inactive March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1935 All representatives elected on a general ticket. Theodore Christianson Republican January 3, 1935 –January 3, 1937 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1934.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. 1935–1943 Dewey Johnson Farmer–Labor January 3, 1937 –January 3, 1939 Elected in 1936.Lost re-election. Oscar Youngdahl Republican January 3, 1939 –January 3, 1943 Elected in 1938.Re-elected in 1940.Lost renomination. Walter Judd Republican January 3, 1943 –January 3, 1963 Elected in 1942.Re-elected in 1944.Re-elected in 1946.Re-elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Re-elected in 1952.Re-elected in 1954.Re-elected in 1956.Re-elected in 1958.Re-elected in 1960.Lost re-election. 1943–1953 1953–1963 Donald M. Fraser January 3, 1963 –January 3, 1979 Elected in 1962.Re-elected in 1964.Re-elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Re-elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Re-elected in 1976.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. 1963–1973 1973–1983 Martin Olav Sabo January 3, 1979 –January 3, 2007 Elected in 1978.Re-elected in 1980.Re-elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Re-elected in 1986.Re-elected in 1988.Re-elected in 1990.Re-elected in 1992.Re-elected in 1994.Re-elected in 1996.Re-elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Re-elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Retired. 1983–1993 1993–2003 2003–2013 Keith Ellison January 3, 2007 –January 3, 2019 Elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Re-elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Re-elected in 2016.Retired to run for Attorney General of Minnesota. 2013–2023 Ilhan Omar January 3, 2019 –present Elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024. 2023–present

Recent election results

2002

2004

2006

Congressman Martin Sabo, DFL, retired after 26 years in the House. Keith Ellison, also a DFLer, replaced him. Although Ellison was endorsed by the DFL convention, four non-endorsed candidates ran strong campaigns against him in the DFL primary: Gail Dorfman, Mike Erlandson, Ember Reichgott Junge, and Jack Nelson Pallmeyer. Ellison won the primary with 41% of the vote. In the general election, he won with 56% of the vote against Jay Pond of the Green Party, Tammy Lee of the Independence Party, and Alan Fine of the Republican Party. Ellison was the first Muslim member of the U.S. Congress.

2008

2010

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2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

See also

Minnesota's congressional districts List of United States congressional districts

References