Fillmore County Republican Precinct Caucuses were held Tuesday evening, February 3 in Chatfield, Harmony, Lanesboro, Mabel, Preston, Rushford and Spring Valley, Minn. DFL Caucus locations took place in Preston, Rushford Village and Spring Valley.
At one town’s events, voters were gathered at Kingsland School in Spring Valley as Democrats and Republicans held separate precinct caucuses, marking the start of Minnesota’s 2026 election process.
Democrats met in the school library, where the caucus opened with the group singing “America the Beautiful” in remembrance of Renee Good and Alex Pretti before beginning formal business. Ruth Franke served as convener and guided attendees through the opening steps before the group moved into caucus business. Discussion focused on party priorities, resolutions, and preparations for delegate selection later in the process.
Republicans met in the school’s band room, where Gerald Wolf served as convener. With a crowded field of Republican candidates seeking the gubernatorial nomination, participants conducted a nonbinding straw poll before continuing with party organization and delegate selection.
Precinct-level straw poll results were not immediately available from Spring Valley or other Fillmore County locations on caucus night. Statewide results were released Wednesday morning as precincts across Minnesota continued reporting.
According to results shared by the Fillmore County GOP on social media, with about 73% of precincts reporting and more than 14,000 votes cast statewide, House Speaker Lisa Demuth led the Republican gubernatorial straw poll with 4,623 votes. Kendall Qualls followed with 3,620 votes, while Mike Lindell received 2,489.
Other candidates included Scott Jensen with 868 votes, Kristin Robbins with 632, Phil Parrish with 561, Patrick Knight with 298, and Peggy Bennett with 100. An additional 854 participants selected “undecided,” and 49 votes were recorded as write-ins.
The Minnesota DFL Party also released statewide straw poll results from caucus night. With approximately 84% of precincts reporting, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar received 79% of the preference vote in the DFL gubernatorial straw poll. An additional 16% of participants selected “uncommitted,” while 3% cast write-in votes. Christopher Seymour and abstentions each accounted for about 1% of the total. Party officials noted the results are nonbinding and serve only as an early snapshot of caucus-goer sentiment.
Party officials emphasized that the straw poll is nonbinding and does not determine endorsements or ballot placement, describing it as an early gauge of voter engagement ahead of the primary election.
Across the state, Democratic caucuses focused on party organization, resolutions, and delegate selection, with endorsements expected later in the election cycle.
Precinct caucuses serve as the first step in Minnesota’s electoral system, allowing voters to shape party platforms, elect local officers, and select delegates to represent them at county, district, and state conventions in the months ahead.
Additional information from Fillmore County precincts, including delegate counts and resolutions, is expected as reports are finalized.
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