In Minnesota politics, state-level candidates and PACs raised $36.9 million between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021. More than $5.2 million or 14.1 percent of all donations was raised by the 10 individuals at the top of the list.
Top 10 Minnesota candidates (1/1/2021 – 12/31/21)
Here are the 10 Minnesota candidates who have raised the most money so far in the 2022 election cycle, according to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.
| Rank | Candidate Name | Total Donations | Total Expenditures |
| 1. | Tim Walz | $2,453,590.83 | $1,324,421.38 |
| 2. | Dr Jensen Scott | $770,358.62 | $419,170.81 |
| 3. | Paul Gazelka | $526,926.67 | $114,266.30 |
| 4. | Steve Simon | $303,290.00 | $61,539.60 |
| 5. | Dennis Smith | $279,148.85 | $119,181.45 |
| 6. | Keith Ellison | $274,764.00 | $203,198.53 |
| 7. | Dr Shah Neil | $201,108.00 | $217,465.35 |
| 8. | Michelle Benson | $171,146.49 | $92,773.67 |
| 9. | Doug Wardlow | $114,571.14 | $267,726.18 |
| 10. | James Schultz | $106,800.00 | $1,390.45 |
Donations to top candidates in 10 states during the 2022 election cycle
Among state-level candidates and officeholders, fundraising varies widely. A number of factors, including state-specific campaign finance regulations, influence how donor activity varies across states. Here is how donations to the top 10 Minnesota candidates compare to nine other states with data available from Transparency USA for the 2022 election cycle:
Comparison of donations to top 10 candidates, by state
| Rank | State | Donations to Top 10 Candidates | Total Donations | Reporting Period |
| 1. | Florida | $110,704,048.67 | $532,230,957.55 | 1/1/2021 – 2/28/2022 |
| 2. | Texas | $105,345,995.42 | $375,309,268.77 | 1/1/2021 – 2/19/2022 |
| 3. | Pennsylvania | $34,501,470.61 | $343,783,026.52 | 1/1/2021 – 3/09/2022 |
| 4. | Michigan | $25,358,422.95 | $89,192,492.11 | 1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021 |
| 5. | Arizona | $22,291,313.55 | $72,806,908.75 | 1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021 |
| 6. | Ohio | $20,559,510.69 | $64,199,578.37 | 1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021 |
| 7. | Wisconsin | $19,907,524.37 | 55,603,885.14 | 1/1/2021 – 3/21/2022 |
| 8. | North Carolina | $8,927,365.01 | $39,859,339.46 | 1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021 |
| 9. | Indiana | $7,661,472.02 | 49,459,363.58 | 1/1/2021 – 4/8/2022 |
| 10. | Minnesota | $5,201,704.60 | $36,935,152.76 | 1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021 |
In some states, officeholders may accept donations to their campaign accounts when they are not up for election. Any reported donations by those officeholders are included in candidate donation numbers.
The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Minnesota candidate PACs submitted to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.
| Report Name | Report Due Date |
| 2022 Jan Annual | 1/31/2022 |
| 2022 Q1 | 4/14/2022 |
| 2022 Q2 | 6/14/2022 |
| 2022 Jul Semiannual | 7/25/2022 |
| 2022 Q3 | 9/27/2022 |
| 2022 Q4 | 10/31/2022 |
| 2022 Jan Annual | 1/31/2023 |
This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.