2008Final results
2008 election for Minnesota's 5th District
U.S. House · Minnesota
Keith Ellison (D) won with 70.9% of the vote, defeating Barb Davis White (R) by 48.9 points.
Keith EllisonDemocrat · winner
70.9%228,776
Barb Davis WhiteRepublican
22.0%71,020
Bill McGaugheyIndependent
6.9%22,318
322,747 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 2008
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Keith EllisonBarb Davis White
$1.5M
Raised by the campaign
$62.1K
$1.5M
Spent by the campaign
$55.8K
$61.9K
Cash on hand
$6.6K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 2008.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 2008