Minnesota's 1st congressional district
U.S. House district for Minnesota
Minnesota's 1st congressional district Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative Area 13,322[ 1] sq mi (34,500 km2 ) Distribution 62.53% urban[ 2] 37.47% rural Population (2023) 713,000[ 3] Median household income $73,883[ 4] Ethnicity Cook PVI R+7[ 5]
Minnesota's 1st congressional district extends across southern Minnesota from the border with South Dakota to the border with Wisconsin . It is a primarily rural district built on a strong history of agriculture , though this is changing rapidly due to strong population growth in the Rochester combined statistical area. The district is also home to several of Minnesota's major mid-sized cities, including Rochester , Mankato , Winona , Austin , Owatonna , Albert Lea , Red Wing , New Ulm , Worthington , and Lake City . It is represented by Republican Brad Finstad .
From early statehood until after the 2000 census, the district covered only southeastern Minnesota . During the 20th century, it was generally considered solidly Republican , but it became more of a swing district in the late 20th to early 21st century. In 2004, John Kerry received 47% of the vote in the district. In 2006, Republican Representative Gil Gutknecht lost to Democrat Tim Walz . In March 2017, Walz announced that he would not run for reelection to Congress, and instead would run for governor of Minnesota . On paper, the district leans Republican, with a CPVI of R+7, but some recent elections have been among the closest in the nation, won by less than a single percentage point in both 2016 and 2018.[ 5] In the 2022 general election, Republican Brad Finstad defeated the Democratic nominee by 11.5 points. His margin of victory was the largest of any candidate in the district since 2012 and the best showing for a Republican since 2004.
Election results from statewide races
Composition
#
County
Seat
Population
13
Blue Earth
Mankato
70,006
15
Brown
New Ulm
25,628
39
Dodge
Mantorville
21,088
43
Faribault
Blue Earth
13,873
45
Fillmore
Preston
21,522
47
Freeborn
Albert Lea
30,515
49
Goodhue
Red Wing
48,035
55
Houston
Caledonia
18,582
63
Jackson
Jackson
9,919
91
Martin
Fairmont
19,657
99
Mower
Austin
40,058
103
Nicollet
St. Peter
34,242
105
Nobles
Worthington
21,727
109
Olmsted
Rochester
164,784
131
Rice
Faribault
67,948
133
Rock
Luverne
9,551
147
Steele
Owatonna
37,421
157
Wabasha
Wabasha
21,683
161
Waseca
Waseca
19,981
165
Watonwan
St. James
11,077
169
Winona
Winona
49,721
Cities and townships of 10,000 or more people
Rochester – 122,413
Mankato – 45,140
Owatonna – 26,470
Austin – 26,208
Winona – 25,842
Faribault – 24,518
Albert Lea – 18,396
Red Wing – 16,547
North Mankato – 14,251
New Ulm – 14,120
Worthington – 13,743
St. Peter – 12,156
Fairmont – 10,260
2,500 – 10,000 people
Waseca – 9,150
Kasson – 6,851
Stewartville – 6,687
Byron – 6,312
La Crescent – 5,274
Lake City – 5,252
Luverne – 4,946
St. James – 4,793
Cannon Falls – 4,220
Goodview – 4,138
Marion Township – 4,031
St. Charles – 3,990
Pine Island – 3,769
Zumbrota – 3,726
Plainview – 3,483
Sleepy Eye – 3,452
Jackson – 3,323
Eagle Lake – 3,286
Blue Earth – 3,248
Chatfield – 2,997
Caledonia – 2,847
Dodge Center – 2,844
Cascade Township – 2,828
Wabasha – 2,559
Lake Crystal – 2,539
List of members representing the district
Member
Party
Years
Cong ress
Electoral history
District location
District established March 4, 1863
William Windom (Winona )
Republican
March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869
38th 39th 40th
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1862 .Re-elected in 1864 .Re-elected in 1866 . Retired.
1863–1873 [data missing ]
Morton S. Wilkinson (Mankato )
Republican
March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1871
41st
Elected in 1868 . Lost renomination.
Mark H. Dunnell (Owatonna )
Republican
March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1883
42nd 43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th
Elected in 1870 .Re-elected in 1872 .Re-elected in 1874 .Re-elected in 1876 .Re-elected in 1878 .Re-elected in 1880 . Retired to run for U.S. Senator .
1873–1883 Blue Earth , Cottonwood , Dodge , Faribault , Fillmore , Freeborn , Houston , Jackson , Martin , Mower , Murray , Nobles , Olmsted , Pipestone , Rock , Steele , Waseca , Watonwan , and Winona
Milo White (Chatfield )
Republican
March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887
48th 49th
Elected in 1882 .Re-elected in 1884 . Retired.
1883–1893 Dodge , Fillmore , Freeborn , Houston , Mower , Olmsted , Steele , Wabasha , and Winona
Thomas Wilson (Winona )
Democratic
March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889
50th
Elected in 1886 . Lost re-election.
Mark H. Dunnell (Owatonna )
Republican
March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891
51st
Elected in 1888 . Lost re-election.
William H. Harries (Caledonia )
Democratic
March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893
52nd
Elected in 1890 . Lost re-election.
James Albertus Tawney (Winona )
Republican
March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1911
53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th 60th
Elected in 1892 .Re-elected in 1894 .Re-elected in 1896 .Re-elected in 1898 .Re-elected in 1900 .Re-elected in 1902 .Re-elected in 1904 .Re-elected in 1906 .Re-elected in 1908 . Lost renomination.
1893–1933 Dodge , Fillmore , Freeborn , Houston , Mower , Olmsted , Steele , Wabasha , Waseca , and Winona
Sydney Anderson (Lanesboro )
Republican
March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1925
61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th
Elected in 1910 .Re-elected in 1912 .Re-elected in 1914 .Re-elected in 1916 .Re-elected in 1918 .Re-elected in 1920 .Re-elected in 1922 . Retired.
Allen J. Furlow (Rochester )
Republican
March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1929
69th 70th
Elected in 1924 .Re-elected in 1926 . Lost renomination.
Victor Christgau (Austin )
Republican
March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1933
71st 72nd
Elected in 1928 .Re-elected in 1930 . Redistricted to the at-large district and lost re-election as an independent .
District inactive
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935
73rd
All members elected at-large .
August H. Andresen (Red Wing )
Republican
January 3, 1935 – January 14, 1958
74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th
Elected in 1934 .Re-elected in 1936 .Re-elected in 1938 .Re-elected in 1940 .Re-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 . Died.
1935–1963 Dodge , Fillmore , Freeborn , Goodhue , Houston , Mower , Olmsted , Rice , Steele , Wabasha , Waseca , and Winona
Vacant
January 14, 1958 – February 18, 1958
85th
Al Quie (Dennison )
Republican
February 18, 1958 – January 3, 1979
85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th
Elected to finish Andresen's term .Re-elected in 1958 .Re-elected in 1960 .Re-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 Governor of Minnesota .
1963–1973 Dakota , Dodge , Fillmore , Freeborn , Goodhue , Houston , Mower , Olmsted , Rice , Steele , Wabasha , and Winona
1973–1983 Dodge , Fillmore , Goodhue , Houston , Olmsted , Rice , Steele , Wabasha , Washington , and Winona ; parts of Dakota
Arlen Erdahl (West St. Paul )
Republican
January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1983
96th 97th
Elected in 1978 .Re-elected in 1980 . Lost renomination.
Tim Penny (New Richland )
Democratic (DFL)
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1995
98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd
Elected in 1982 .Re-elected in 1984 .Re-elected in 1986 .Re-elected in 1988 .Re-elected in 1990 .Re-elected in 1992 . Retired.
1983–1993 Blue Earth , Dodge , Fillmore , Freeborn , Houston , Mower , Olmsted , Rice , Steele , Wabasha , Waseca , and Winona ; parts of Dakota , Goodhue , Le Sueur , and Scott
1993–1995 Blue Earth , Dodge , Faribault , Fillmore , Freeborn , Goodhue , Houston , Le Sueur , Mower , Olmsted , Rice , Steele , Wabasha , Waseca , and Winona ; parts of Dakota and Scott
Gil Gutknecht (Rochester )
Republican
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007
104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th
Elected in 1994 .Re-elected in 1996 .Re-elected in 1998 .Re-elected in 2000 .Re-elected in 2002 .Re-elected in 2004 . Lost re-election.
1995–2003 Blue Earth , Dodge , Faribault , Fillmore , Freeborn , Goodhue , Houston , Mower , Olmsted , Rice , Steele , Wabasha , Waseca , and Winona ; parts of Dakota , Le Sueur , Nicollet , and Scott
2003–2013 Blue Earth , Brown , Cottonwood , Dodge , Faribault , Fillmore , Freeborn , Houston , Jackson , Martin , Mower , Murray , Nicollet , Nobles , Olmsted , Pipestone , Rock , Steele , Wabasha , Waseca , Watonwan , and Winona ; parts of Le Sueur
Tim Walz (Mankato )
Democratic (DFL)
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2019
110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th
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 Governor of Minnesota .
2013–2023 Blue Earth , Brown , Dodge , Faribault , Fillmore , Freeborn , Houston , Jackson , Le Sueur , Martin , Mower , Nicollet , Nobles , Olmsted , Rock , Steele , Waseca , Watonwan , and Winona ; parts of Cottonwood and Rice
Jim Hagedorn (Blue Earth )
Republican
January 3, 2019 – February 17, 2022
116th 117th
Elected in 2018 .Re-elected in 2020 . Died.
Vacant
February 17, 2022 – August 12, 2022
117th
Brad Finstad (New Ulm )
Republican
August 12, 2022 – present
117th 118th
Elected to finish Hagedorn's term .Re-elected in 2022 .Re-elected in 2024 .
2023–present Blue Earth , Dodge , Faribault , Fillmore , Freeborn , Goodhue , Houston , Jackson , Martin , Mower , Nicollet , Nobles , Olmsted , Rock , Steele , Wabasha , Waseca , Watonwan , and Winona ; parts of Brown and Rice
Recent election results
Graph of election results in Minnesota's 1st congressional district
See also
References
43°53′56″N 93°42′42″W / 43.89889°N 93.71167°W / 43.89889; -93.71167