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Minnesota

Flanagan Leads Tafoya by 7 in Minnesota Poll

A KSTP/SurveyUSA survey conducted Oct. 24 through 28 shows the Minnesota governor's race tightening as Election Day approaches.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a geometric capitol-style dome above a prairie horizon in navy and cream, evoking Minnesota's statewide election.
Democrat Peggy Flanagan leads Republican Michele Tafoya by seven points in a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll of Minnesota's governor's race conducted Oct. 24 through 28. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you think Minnesota is heading in the right direction under its current leaders?

A KSTP/SurveyUSA poll shows Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan leading Michele Tafoya by seven points in Minnesota, with 48% of respondents approving of Flanagan and 41% approving of Tafoya. The survey also found Sen. Amy Klobuchar leading Rep. Lisa Demuth by 12 points.

Why it matters

The poll offers a snapshot of statewide support in Minnesota's major races just days before voters head to the polls. Readers can use these figures to gauge where the contests stand heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

In the latest KSTP/SurveyUSA poll, Flanagan held 48% approval to Tafoya's 41%, while Klobuchar led Demuth 51% to 39%, both with a 4.2% margin of error. Seven percent of voters remained undecided, and the poll does not show how they will vote.

The players

KSTP/SurveyUSA

KSTP is a Minneapolis-St. Paul television station, and SurveyUSA is a polling firm that partnered with it to survey Minnesota voters.

Peggy Flanagan

Peggy Flanagan is Minnesota's Lieutenant Governor and a Democratic candidate who led the latest KSTP/SurveyUSA poll.

Michele Tafoya

Michele Tafoya is a former sportscaster and Republican candidate trailing Flanagan in the latest KSTP/SurveyUSA poll.

Amy Klobuchar

Amy Klobuchar is a United States Senator from Minnesota who led Rep. Lisa Demuth in the latest KSTP/SurveyUSA poll.

Lisa Demuth

Lisa Demuth is a Minnesota state representative and Republican candidate trailing Klobuchar in the latest KSTP/SurveyUSA poll.

The details

The KSTP/SurveyUSA poll was conducted Oct. 24 through 28 and surveyed voters across Minnesota demographic categories including gender and age. Separately, Ellison led Ron Schutz 49% to 41%, Steve Simon led Tad Jude 47% to 36%, and Zack Filipovich led Scott Jensen by six points, while Libertarian candidates Rebeca Whiting and Marisa Simonetti each drew 2%.

Timeline

  1. Oct. 9 to 12: KSTP/SurveyUSA conducted its previous poll.

  2. Oct. 22: Rasmussen Reports published a poll showing Flanagan at 48% and Tafoya at 45%.

  3. Oct. 24 through 28: KSTP/SurveyUSA conducted its latest poll.

  4. Nov. 2: Article published ahead of Election Day.

Political Context

The KSTP/SurveyUSA poll shows a seven-point Flanagan lead, a wider margin than the three-point lead in the Rasmussen Reports survey published Oct. 22. Readers comparing the two surveys should note that Rasmussen did not include the Libertarian candidates.

Minnesota voters weighing the governor and Senate races can use these approval figures to compare the candidates heading into Election Day. The 4.2% margin of error means the seven-point Flanagan lead is meaningful but not certain.

The takeaway

Polling margins and undecided voters can shift results, so readers should weigh the latest numbers alongside other surveys before drawing conclusions about the Minnesota races.

Further reading

Track the full slate of contests in Minnesota Elections as voters prepare for the final count.

Source note: This article includes information reported by St. Cloud Times.

Live Poll

Do you think Minnesota is heading in the right direction under its current leaders?