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Johnson claims victory over Finstad in House race; no major outlet calls race
Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Jake Johnson claimed victory Wednesday over incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad, although no major outlet has called the race yet.
Johnson’s campaign sent out a press release at 3 a.m. saying that the public school teacher won the race for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, covering much of Southern Minnesota. However, the Associated Press, the New York Times, CNN and CBS have not yet declared a winner as of Wednesday afternoon.
The most recent data from the AP shows Johnson with a lead of 323 votes with 99% of the vote reported, one less vote than Johnson’s campaign claims the margin is. The AP reported that Johnson has so far earned 49.99% of the counted vote compared to Finstad’s 49.89%, a margin close enough to make the race eligible for a publicly funded recount under rules set by the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.
If elected, Johnson would be the first Democrat to represent the district since Gov. Tim Walz, who left the seat in 2019 to become the state’s top executive in government. Finstad was elected in a 2022 special election following the death of former Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn, and was reelected in 2024 by more than 17% of the vote.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, Finstad has not responded to the Johnson campaign’s press release or conceded the race. A press release from Johnson’s campaign sent early Wednesday said a victory speech was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday evening in Rochester, where he has worked as a math teacher for years.
Miles Schiffer is a reporter for the Faribault Daily News. Reach him at 507-323-2379. © Copyright 2026 Adams MultiMedia of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.
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