Recent content from Jeff Hargarten
With Peterson's defeat, a longtime DFL stronghold shifts into GOP hands
After years of declining victory margins, one of the few remaining "Blue Dog Democrats" couldn't stave off political changes in his district this time.
Absentee balloting helped drive Minnesota's highest voter turnout in 6 decades
High rates of early voting help propel Minnesota to one of its strongest voting years ever.
Biden recaptures lost ground as many Minnesota counties move left
Despite several visits from President Donald Trump hoping to win Minnesota, the electorate favored former vice president Joe Biden, delivering him the win in a handful of counties that evaded Hillary Clinton in 2016. Where Trump prevailed, his win margin was tighter in regional population centers, while it grew in some of the most rural parts of the North Star State.
An election like no other: Tracking Minnesota's early voting
With nearly 2 million absentee votes already accepted, Minnesotans are trending well ahead of previous election early voting.
Minnesotans gave record amounts to campaigns during a chaotic year
More of Minnesota's donors gave more money to political campaigns via platforms like ActBlue and WinRed than ever before.
For Black Minnesota voters, equality is on the ballot
A Star Tribune analysis of voting patterns in Minnesota precincts with a majority or plurality of Black voters shows a drop in registered voter turnout from 75% in 2012 to 70% in 2016.
With days to go, more than 1.1M Minnesotans have voted so far
The volume of early ballots accepted this year is already almost double the number counted for the entire 2016 election. With 11 days to go until Nov. 3, the mountain of mail ballots is expected to rise.
Early voting, once regional in Minnesota, has swept across the state
Absentee balloting has shattered records and crossed regions during this pandemic election year.
Minnesota's primary had few late or rejected mail ballots
Higher rates of mail-in ballots were returned by Minnesota voters during the state primary, while relatively fewer were rejected.
Minnesotans across the state overwhelmingly are voting absentee
A heated presidential election and COVID-19 are driving people to vote from home.
How Minneapolis policing changed during a historic summer of turmoil
Minneapolis police activity fell dramatically compared to last year as the department faced multiple challenges.
6 of 10 Minnesota primary voters cast ballots absentee or by mail, tripling turnout
Check out your county's numbers on our map. The general election on Nov. 3 will likely test Minnesota's capacity to handle an even greater surge of voters.
Summer might be canceled, but Minnesotans are distancing less
Minnesotans are out and about this summer after COVID-19 lockdowns have eased, but daily life remains altered in some ways.
Following historic unrest, police data show a quieter Minneapolis
Police reports spiked, then dipped surrounding the unrest triggered by George Floyd's death.
Stark racial disparities remain as Mpls. police use-of-force rate rises
After a decade of falling, the share of Minneapolis police incidents involving some form of force has increased in the past three years.
How Minnesotans are lightening up on social distancing
Typical Minnesota life ground to a halt when Gov. Tim Walz announced a shelter-in-place order in late March. But as summer approaches, fewer are staying home as often.
COVID-19 isolation hits harder for 300,000 Minnesotans who don't have internet
Minnesota's gaps in access to basic technology may leave vulnerable residents even further behind during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How Minnesota voted in the 2020 Democratic primary, precinct by precinct
Explore a detailed map of each precinct's result showing where Joe Biden bested his rivals across Minnesota.
Three metrics that suggest who Minnesotans might vote for
Amy Klobuchar had maintained a polling lead in Minnesota's primary before she withdrew from the race, but Bernie Sanders' momentum had been narrowing the gap.
Klobuchar tracker: Super Tuesday scramble in southern states
Klobuchar's campaign may face a challenge reaching November's Democratic debate stage.
Sanders overtakes Klobuchar in small-dollar Minnesota donations ahead of Super Tuesday
Sanders out-raised Klobuchar among Minnesotans contributing to ActBlue in January.
How Amy Klobuchar's surge in New Hampshire might've helped Bernie, too
Some have wondered whether Klobuchar peeled votes away from Buttigieg and benefited Sanders, whose win was slimmer than in 2016.
A precinct-by-precinct look at Klobuchar's Iowa caucus performance
After months of campaigning and visiting all 99 Iowa counties, Klobuchar was mostly washed out except for some suburban and sparsely-populated areas.
How Minneapolis might reshape its school district
Minneapolis has released five proposals to shift schools and students around the district.
Minnesota sends black, Native American prisoners to solitary at higher rates than whites
The first-of-its-kind report also reflects some people are staying in isolation for long periods of time.
Minnesotans Googled these Democratic candidates the most in 2019
Google Trends data shows which Democratic candidates Minnesotans have been most curious about over the past year.
Minnesota's veteran suicides continue taking a steady toll
Recent state death records show a downturn in Minnesota veteran suicide rate – though 100 or more former service members still die by suicide annually throughout the state.
UFOs are back in the news — and Minnesotans are seeing more of them
About half of Minnesota's roughly UFO 1,700 sightings since the 1940s have taken place in this decade.
Take a photo tour of Mpls. in 1907 with astonishing, interactive panorama
A panoramic photo of the city taken on a large-format camera in 1907 offers an incredible time capsule. "It reveals things that essentially nobody ever saw before. It's so immersive."
How Minnesota donors have boosted Klobuchar's campaign
Sen. Amy Klobuchar joins a narrowed field of presidential candidates on Thursday night's primary debate stage, and has reached this point partially due to strong support from her Minnesota constituents.
As parties court small-dollar donors, undecided Democrats back multiple candidates
Macey Meyer never considered herself the type to donate to a presidential campaign. Then she watched the first Democratic presidential primary debates. The 26-year-old restaurant…
Which Minnesota schools are scoring better than expected?
A Star Tribune analysis of standardized math and reading test scores can determine whether schools are doing better than their demographics would suggest. Look up whether your school made the cut.
Minnesota faces a labor growth slowdown. This helps explain why.
Minnesota's labor force growth is projected to slow the next decade, adding to those outside the workforce.
Mpls. police rethink pursuit policy after string of chases
The discussion comes after a string of high-speed police pursuits that ended in crashes involving injuries and even death.
Access to guns a concern as Mpls. police seize more than 700 in 2018
North Side, Northeast rose so far this year; overall, numbers fell a third in past decade.
As rents rise in the Twin Cities, suburbs embrace affordable housing efforts
With rents rising across the metro, cities find stable options to help, and keep, tenants.
The state of marijuana in Minnesota, according to data
As lawmakers reconsider the drug's legal status, here's a look at the current laws, public opinion and criminal justice data related to cannabis in Minnesota.
Stassen to Bachmann: A look back at Minnesota's past presidential candidates
A handful of home-grown politicians have run for the highest office in the land, but none have ever progressed to the Oval Office.
How Minnesota changed under Mark Dayton's watch: Here's what the data tell us
Education, environment, economy, health care: As a new administration takes the helm, we dug into the data to see what happened in Minnesota under Dayton's leadership.
Minnesota's weather in 2018? A whole lot of winter and summer
Many lakes still had ice cover on May 1, but a run of six straight days at or above 90 degrees, including a rare 100 degrees reading on Memorial Day, helped May end as the second warmest on record.
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New data shows how voter enthusiasm drove huge midterm turnout
Heavier voter engagement in Minnesota's suburbs, and the metro area in general, helped drive huge turnout this midterm.
How Minnesota's battleground districts shifted in the 2018 midterm
Minnesota's urban/rural political divide deepened in this year's midterm election.
How Minnesota voted for governor, neighborhood by neighborhood
See how Minnesota voted for governor, neighborhood by neighborhood, by exploring this highly detailed map of precinct results across the state.
600,000 Minnesotans have already voted. Here's what we're watching.
On the eve of Election Day, more than half a million Minnesotans have already turned in a ballot - including many young people who didn't vote in 2016.
Three reasons for Democrats (and Republicans) to be optimistic on Election Day
Some key voting trends and polling data suggest advantages for Democrats in Minnesota on Election Day. But Republicans have reason to be hopeful as well.
Three reasons for Republicans (and Democrats) to be optimistic on Election Day
Some key voting trends and demographic factors could prove advantageous to Republicans on Election Day. But Democrats have reason to be hopeful as well.
![The Minnesota State Capitol in the evening sun. ] GLEN STUBBE ï glen.stubbe@startribune.com Thursday, September 28, 2017 EDS, AVAILABLE FOR ANY APPRO](https://stmedia.stimg.co/ows_1540855465839.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
What to watch for in Minnesota's legislative races this year
Which party controls the Minnesota House of Representatives this midterm may hinge on several districts in the Twin Cities suburbs and greater Minnesota.
Why you're hearing so much about Minnesota's congressional races this fall
With four of its eight congressional races rated as tossups, Minnesota is poised to have an outsized impact in determining control of Congress.
A deeper look at Minneapolis crime rates
Data show an overall decrease in Minneapolis crime, but also reveal recent upticks in rates for various violent crimes.
Explore detailed precinct maps of Minnesota's biggest primary races
Precinct-level maps show in greater detail how Minnesota voted in this year's primaries.
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5 takeaways from 2018 Minnesota primary precinct-by-precinct race maps
In the governor's race, DFLer Tim Walz dominated the southern half of the state and Jeff Johnson of the GOP did well in exurban areas.
As emerald ash borer spreads, cities can't plant trees fast enough
St. Paul and Minneapolis have lost tens of thousands of ash trees, and the urban canopy won't be restored for decades.
Why so many candidates are running for office in Minnesota this year
This year's big races are drawing relatively high numbers of contenders compared to other recent elections.
Minnesota youth could affect key November elections — if they turn out
Minnesota ranks high on a 2018 ranking of states where young voters' participation could have the greatest significance, despite traditionally low youth turnout.
Minneapolis police shootings since 2000: A deeper look at who and where
Do areas with more crime see more fatal police encounters? Not necessarily.
Use-of-force police incidents show 10-year decline in Mpls.
Some say stats don't tell full story of encounters.
Complete Minnesota Poll results: State gun legislation
The Star Tribune Minnesota Poll interviewed 625 Minnesota registered voters between April 15 and April 18 about gun ownership, gun violence and gun control. Scroll…
Complete Minnesota Poll results: Gun laws
The Star Tribune Minnesota Poll interviewed 625 Minnesota registered voters between April 15 and April 18 about gun ownership, gun violence and gun control. Scroll…
Complete Minnesota Poll results: Taxes
The Star Tribune poll interviewed Minnesota registered voters between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10. Highlights from questions about the recent federal tax law signed by…
Where strip clubs are zoned in Minneapolis
Minneapolis ordinances funnel strip clubs and sex shops into specific areas downtown.
Google tracked a year of my life in downtown Minneapolis
It was an eye-opening experience examining the mass of data Google had collected.
See which Minnesota hospitals had medical mistakes last year
Minnesota's hospitals have publicly reported preventable errors since 2005. Look up how many have happened by hospital, year or the type of error.
Find the hottest Twin Cities housing markets of 2017
For the second year, the Star Tribune compared home sale data in the Twin Cities to determine which cities had the hottest markets in 2017. How did your city fare?
Edina's drunken-driving arrest rate shows focus on state highways
The suburb, with a dedicated enforcement officer, focuses on freeways that carry most traffic.
Tracking Edina's DWI arrest rates
Edina Police Department has higher rates of DWI arrests than many other Minnesota law enforcement agencies.
Minnesota's flu season is worse than expected, and it's not done yet
However, the flu seems to be taking an even harder toll on other parts of the U.S.
Complete Minnesota Poll results: Governor's race
The Star Tribune poll interviewed Minnesota registered voters between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10. Highlights from questions about the upcoming race for governor in Minnesota…
Complete Minnesota Poll results: Sexual harassment
The Star Tribune poll interviewed Minnesota registered voters between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10. Highlights from questions about workplace sexual harassment and the fallout of…
Minnesota Poll results: What Minnesotans think about Al Franken's resignation
The Star Tribune poll interviewed Minnesota registered voters between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10. Highlights from questions about Al Franken's resignation from the Senate amid…
Minnesota Poll results: What Minnesotans think about possible collusion with Russia
The Star Tribune poll interviewed Minnesota registered voters between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10. Highlights from questions about possible collusion between the Trump campaign and…
Minnesota Poll results: Donald Trump's favorability ratings
To mark President Donald Trump's first year in office, the Star Tribune polled Minnesota registered voters between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10. Highlights from questions…
Are the Vikings the NFL's most tragic playoff team?
A Star Tribune analysis shows the Vikings do unexpectedly lose a significant number of postseason games, but aren't necessarily the worst.
Minnesota's suicide rate has been rising steadily for nearly two decades
Minnesota's suicide rates have increased steadily in recent years.
