Minnesota recount: Finstad requests review of narrow loss

Republican Representative Brad Finstad has requested a recount of the Minnesota 1st Congressional District election. The contest ended with Democrat Jake Johnson holding a 323 vote lead. Finstad cited state law, which allows a standard recount when the margin is under 0.25 percent. His statement noted that the current margin is less than half of that threshold.

The initial vote count placed Johnson ahead by a narrow margin. He received 49.99 percent of the votes, while Finstad secured 49.89 percent. The total number of ballots cast in the district was 326,000. Because the difference fell within the legal limit, the state permits the losing candidate to ask for a publicly financed review.

The recount process will not begin until after the State Canvassing Board meets on Thursday, November 19. That board will certify the results before any recount proceeds. Finstad said the campaign will wait for the results of that process. He stated that the goal is to ensure every vote is counted accurately under state and federal law.

Jake Johnson is a math teacher at Mayo High School in Rochester. He held a victory rally at the Empire Event Center on Wednesday, November 4. His campaign manager, Nik Marda, referred to Johnson as congressman-elect during the event. Marda told a local television station that past history shows recounts in congressional races rarely change the outcome by such a large number of votes.

Finstad previously won the district by wide margins. In the 2024 election, he defeated Democrat Rachel Bohman by 17 percentage points. The district stretches between Rock and Houston counties. It includes the cities of Rochester, Winona, Austin, and Mankato. Donald Trump carried the district by 12 percentage points in the 2024 presidential race.

Most voters in Minnesota use optical scan machines. These devices tally votes electronically on election night. The Minnesota Secretary of State states that these machines undergo pre election testing and periodic audits. Finstad expressed gratitude to those who participated in the election. He said the full legal process would be followed to reach a final determination.

Polls predicted a close result for weeks. Tuesday night’s tally confirmed that prediction. The race was decided by less than one percentage point. Johnson’s lead stood at 0.1 percent of the total votes. Finstad’s team will now proceed through the administrative steps required for the recount.