Amy Klobuchar Wins Overwhelmingly in St. Louis County DFL Straw Poll

Amy Klobuchar dominated non-binding DFL straw polls in multiple St. Louis County precincts, taking 91.6% in DFL District 7B and the portion of 7A that covers Hibbing, Virginia, Aurora, Floodwood, Meadowlands and Cotton. Samantha Lowen, chair of St. Louis County 07 DFL, reported the district results after Tuesday night’s precinct meetings at MN North-Mesabi Range College, where photographs show voters checking precinct assignments and reviewing procedure materials.

Local totals in nearby Brown County delivered a similar picture. Klobuchar received 134 of 146 straw-poll votes countywide, with 11 uncommitted ballots and a single write-in counted. The New Ulm precinct reported roughly 100 caucusgoers at New Ulm High School, underscoring pockets of active turnout across rural precincts.

Those strong local showings sit alongside a broader statewide tally that the party reported while about 84% of precincts were in: Klobuchar held roughly 79% of the straw‑poll vote at that stage, with the DFL estimating about 30,000 people statewide attended caucuses. Party officials said final results were delayed about 18 hours because several larger precincts did not immediately report returns.

The straw polls are preference ballots and non-binding, but they provide an early snapshot of party sentiment and invitations for campaigns to focus field operations. Klobuchar announced her campaign last week and, with Gov. Tim Walz having dropped a third-term bid, she currently stands as the most prominent DFL contender on the ballot in many precincts.

Not all precincts mirrored the landslide. In south Minneapolis’ Senate District 62, 693 votes produced 338 uncommitted ballots and 200 votes for Klobuchar, reflecting local protest voting and sharper intra-party divisions in urban settings. Meghan Casey, 10th Ward precinct nine caucus chair, said, “I can’t support Klobuchar because she has ‘done a lot of damage, especially in her role as (Hennepin County) Attorney.’” In New Ulm, an attendee identified only as Varland tied activism to pocketbook concerns: “I think people are getting really upset and they are turning to activism. The news out of Minnesota has got many of us asking who we are as people.”

DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom called turnout “historic” and described it as “more proof that we will never stop fighting for our neighbors.” Minnesota Republican Party Chair Alex Plechash said the crowded GOP field reflects energy on the right, adding, “The fact that we have so many candidates tells me that there’s a lot of excitement in the Republican Party. If people weren’t excited about our chances we wouldn’t be seeing this kind of result.”

For St. Louis County voters, the results confirm strong initial backing for Klobuchar across northeastern precincts and suggest the county will be a visible stop on the campaign trail. With a statewide figure still being completed and the August primary ahead, expect candidates and organizers to use these straw-poll patterns to target outreach on issues voters named as priorities: fraud, public safety, education and the federal law enforcement presence in Minnesota.