First posted on Instagram
Republican Rep. Brad Finstad Formally Requests a Publicly Funded Recount in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District After Losing to Democrat Jake Johnson by 323 Votes, as Johnson Had Declared Victory and the Race Remains Uncalled
Republican Rep. Brad Finstad has formally requested a recount in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, after unofficial results from Tuesday's election put Democrat Jake Johnson ahead of him by 323 votes — 163,057 to 162,734, a margin of less than 0.1 percent.
Minnesota does not order recounts on its own in a race like this: the trailing candidate must formally ask. Because the margin is under 0.25 percent, state law makes the recount publicly funded, so Finstad does not have to pay for it himself.
Finstad, who has represented the southern Minnesota district since 2022 and won re-election by 17 points in 2024, thanked the roughly 326,000 southern Minnesotans who voted on Tuesday and said: "We will work to ensure that the full process established under state and federal law is followed, so that every vote is counted in an accurate and transparent manner as we move toward a final determination of the results."
Johnson declared victory on Wednesday morning. His campaign answered the recount request by saying all precincts have reported and counted their legal votes, and that no U.S. House recount in more than 40 years has shifted a total by as much as the 300-plus votes Johnson leads by.
The race itself remains uncalled and the results unofficial until canvassing and certification are complete. For voters in the district, the recount means the seat stays open a while longer — but it also means every ballot is checked again, at public expense rather than a candidate's, before anyone is sent to Washington.
— Previously posted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 —
Democrat Jake Johnson leads Republican incumbent Brad Finstad by only about 324 votes in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, in unofficial results from the Nov. 3, 2026, election.
The unofficial results put Johnson at 163,057 votes to Finstad's 162,733. The Associated Press's latest tally was 163,059 to 162,738, a small difference as counts update.
The Associated Press has NOT called the race: it remains too early to call, with 100% of precincts reporting.
Johnson has claimed victory. Finstad has not conceded, and his campaign has acknowledged a recount is likely.
The margin falls within Minnesota's threshold for a publicly funded recount. Results remain unofficial until canvassing and certification.
There is currently no verified evidence of election fraud or deliberate vote manipulation; a recount is a legal procedure to verify the count.
If Johnson's lead holds, Democrats gain another House seat. The district in southern Minnesota had not elected a Democrat since Tim Walz left it in 2018.
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