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Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and voting is underway in Minnesota. This is the whole race — the records, the claims, and what the sources actually show. Read the research, and decide which flaw you can live with.
The setup The St. Paul half of the Twin Cities metro — Ramsey County and parts of Washington County. Cook PVI is D+18 and Cook rates it Solid D / Safe D (Cook Political Report). Incumbent Betty McCollum (DFL) is running for re-election after winning 67.6% in 2024. On the ballot, at compilation strength: Betty McCollum (DFL) and Paul Wikstrom (R). No third-party nominee is listed in the file. The Minnesota Secretary of State certified-list pull was not directly made in the research pass.
Betty McCollum (DFL) The record: U.S. representative since 2001, first elected 2000 — Dean of the Minnesota delegation. Serves on House Appropriations as Ranking Member of the Defense Subcommittee and senior member of Interior-Environment, Minnesota's sole Appropriations member; co-founder of the Congressional Global Health Caucus. Prior service: North St. Paul City Council (1986–1992) and four terms in the Minnesota House (1992–2000). Won the 2026 DFL primary 85.8%. Pros: Deep appropriations experience, including defense funding work. Cons: A quarter-century party-line Democratic record; the file locates no proven break with her party on our values in service. The flaw, plainly: An entrenched, reliable Democratic organizing and appropriations vote, with no Manchin-test exception documented.
Paul Wikstrom (R) The record: Engineer. Republican nominee for Minnesota House District 40B in 2024; endorsed by the Republican Party of Minnesota. Won the Republican primary 72.6% over Paul Xiong and Gene Rechtzigel. Pros: In-tent Republican; engineering background; party-endorsed this time. Cons: No elected office is located in the file — he is unproven. The flaw, plainly: Unproven — a watch-closely posture, not a demonstrated flaw.
OUR CALL LiberalMind endorses Paul Wikstrom — as unproven, and on watch.
McCollum's long record contains no documented break that would earn a Democrat exception under the Manchin test. Wikstrom carries no proven in-service flaw. The district lean, D+18, is stated plainly — it does not change which record fits our values.
This race is one of hundreds in LiberalMind's Election 2026 coverage. For the complete breakdown — every race, claim by claim — go to liberalmindhq.com.
Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.
--- Sources - Wikipedia, "2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota" (compilation, read Oct. 25, 2026) — roster, primaries, 2024 margin - Cook Political Report race table — PVI D+18, Solid D rating - McCollum campaign biography / 119th Congress committee list — tenure, Appropriations roles, prior service
Winner: Betty McCollum (Democratic) — called by the Associated Press. This result was appended on November 4, 2026 (results wave 2); the original article above is unchanged, exactly as published before Election Day.
AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.