Finstad Leads Johnson 44%-41% in Minnesota House Race as 15% Remain Undecided
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 20
Finstad Leads Johnson 44%-41% in Minnesota House Race as 15% Remain Undecided
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 20
Summary
A February 2026 poll by a Democratic firm put Republican incumbent Brad Finstad ahead of Democrat Jake Johnson 44% to 41% in southern Minnesota’s House race, with 15% of voters still undecided.
Johnson, a high school math teacher and former teachers-union negotiator, is trying to flip a seat Democrats have not held since 2018 by tying his candidacy to affordability and public-program support.
He argues Trump tariffs and the Iran war have raised farm input costs in the heavily agricultural district, while healthcare cuts have hit a region anchored by the Mayo Clinic and led to four clinic closures.
Finstad, who has held the seat since 2022, had a 35% approval rating and 38% disapproval in the same poll; Johnson also attacks him for avoiding in-person town halls.
The district carries a Cook Partisan Index of R+6, but Democrats view it as one of 44 House seats in play as they try to win back a congressional majority.