1998 Minnesota Attorney General election

The 1998 Minnesota Attorney General election was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1998 to elect the Minnesota Attorney General for a four-year term. Incumbent DFL Attorney General Skip Humphrey ran for governor, and DFLer Mike Hatch won the election to replace him.^[1] The election marked the eighth attorney general race in a row won by the DFL since 1970.

1998 Minnesota Attorney General election

← 1994 November 3, 1998 (1998-11-03) 2002 →

Nominee Mike Hatch Charlie Weaver Jr. Jim Mangan Party Democratic (DFL) Republican Reform Popular vote 960,558 880,203 116,504 Percentage 47.8% 43.8% 5.8%

County results Precinct results Hatch:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Weaver:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Mangan:      60–70%      70–80% Tie:      40–50%      50%      No votes

Attorney General before election Skip Humphrey Democratic (DFL) Elected Attorney General Mike Hatch Democratic (DFL)

Democratic–Farmer–Labor primary

The primary was held on September 15. Lawyer Mike Hatch won the DFL nomination.^[2] Hatch faced off against State Senator Ember Reichgott Junge and former United States Attorney David Lillehaug.

Candidates

Nominated in primary

• Mike Hatch, lawyer, former Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce, former DFL Party chairman

Elimated in primary

• Ember Reichgott Junge, state senator^[3]
• David Lillehaug, former United States attorney^[3]

Results

Results by county:

  Hatch

•   30–40%
•   40–50%
•   50-60%
•   60-70%

  Lillehaug

•   30–40%

1998 DFL Primary Election for Minnesota Attorney General^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic (DFL)	Mike Hatch	212,278	46.18%
	Democratic (DFL)	David Lillehaug	135,636	29.51%
	Democratic (DFL)	Ember Reichgott Junge	111,715	24.31%
Total votes			459,629	100%

Independent-Republican primary

The primary was held on September 15. State Representative Charlie Weaver Jr. won the Republican nomination over perennial candidate Sharon Anderson.^[5]

Candidates

Nominated in primary

• Charlie Weaver Jr., state representative, lawyer^[6]

Elimated in primary

• Sharon Anderson, activist, perennial candidate^[7][8]

Results

Results by county:

  Weaver

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%

  Anderson

•   50–60%

  Tie

•   50%

1998 Republican Primary Election for Minnesota Attorney General^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Charlie Weaver Jr.	83,285	62.08%
	Republican	Sharon Anderson	50,863	37.92%
Total votes			134,148	100%

Other candidates

Reform Party

Nominee

• Jim Mangan

Results

1998 Reform Primary Election for Minnesota Attorney General^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Reform	Jim Mangan	13,906	100.00%
Total votes			13,906	100%

Libertarian Party

Nominee

• Ruth A. Mason^[11]

General election

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Mike Hatch (D)	Charlie Weaver Jr. (R)	Undecided
Mason-Dixon Poll[12][A]	October 23–25, 1998	816 (RV)	± 3.5%	44%	31%	25%
Mason-Dixon Poll[13][A]	October 10–13, 1998	825 (RV)	± 3.5%	35%	28%	37%

Results

1998 Minnesota Attorney General election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic (DFL)	Mike Hatch	960,558	47.83%	−16.84%
	Republican	Charlie Weaver Jr.	880,203	43.83%	+15.49%
	Reform	Jim Mangan	116,504	5.80%	N/A
	Libertarian	Ruth A. Mason	49,162	2.45%	N/A
	N/A	Write Ins	1,757	0.09%	−2.85%
Total votes			2,008,184	100.00%

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear

Partisan clients

1. Poll commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio, KARE (TV) & the St. Paul Pioneer Press