2018Flipped from RepublicanFinal resultsSpecial election
2018 special election for U.S. Senate in Minnesota
U.S. Senate · Minnesota
Tina Smith (D) won with 53.0% of the vote, defeating Karin Housley (R) by 10.6 points, a seat Republicans won last time.
Tina SmithDemocrat · winner
53.0%1,370,540
Karin HousleyRepublican
42.4%1,095,777
Sarah WellingtonLegal Marijuana Now
3.7%95,614
Jerry TrooienIndependent
0.9%24,324
2,587,356 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Oct 1, 2026, 6:17 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 2018
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Oct 1, 2026, 6:17 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Tina SmithKarin Housley
$9.2M
Raised by the campaign
$4.7M
$8.8M
Spent by the campaign
$4.7M
$433.8K
Cash on hand
$15.7K
Other candidates' campaigns: Jerry Trooien $1.7M.
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 2018.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 2018
The candidates
Tina Smith (D)Karin Housley (R)
Also on the ballot: Sarah Wellington (Legal Marijuana Now), 3.7%; Jerry Trooien (Independent), 0.9%