The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus issues grades for State Representative, State Senator, and MN’s Constitutional Offices.
Our connected political fund, the Minnesota Gun Owners Political Action Committee, issues endorsements in these races.
Our grades are based on a number of factors, including a candidate survey that was sent to each candidate, their public record of votes and statements, and grades from like-minded gun rights organizations. All grading recommendations are reviewed and approved by our board.
Our candidate survey covers a number of gun rights topics, including constitutional carry, self-defense law reform (stand your ground), licensing and registration, universal background checks, the right to keep and bear arms, and related topics.
We have explained generally in our notes where we have lowered a candidate’s score based on specific survey answers or votes.
In order to receive a grade of A- or higher, a candidate must support all of our legislative priorities, including Stand your Ground and Constitutional Carry, and must oppose all gun control legislation. Our PAC only endorses candidates who receive the grade of A- or higher, support our core legislative priorities of Constitutional Carry and Stand your Ground, and asks for our endorsement in the survey process.
Candidates who have a track record in office, such as a voting record and/or authorship of bills, will also have their record taken into account for grading and endorsement purposes.
Last Updated: August 4, 2025
SD6 Special Election - State Senate
| Race | Name | Party | Survey | Grade | Endorsement | Notes |
| State Senator District 6 | Denise Slipy | DFL | N | ? | Denise Slipy has not returned a survey. | |
| State Senator District 6 | Keri Heintzeman | R | Y | A (P) | ENDORSED |
SD29 Special Election - State Senate
General Election
| Race | Name | Party | Survey | Grade | Endorsement | Notes |
| State Senator District 29 | Michael Holmstrom, Jr. | GOP | Sent | A (P) | ENDORSED | Survey sent 8/4/25, received 8/4/25. |
| State Senator District 29 | Louis McNutt | DFL | Sent | ? | Survey sent 8/4/25, not yet returned. |
Primary Election / Endorsement Contests
| Race | Name | Party | Survey | Grade | Endorsement | Notes |
| State Senator District 29 | Melinda Mihajlov | GOP | Sent | A (P) | Survey sent 8/4/25, received 8/4/25. | |
| State Senator District 29 | Rachel Davis | GOP | Sent | ? | Survey sent 8/4/25, not yet returned. | |
| State Senator District 29 | Jason Franzen | GOP | Sent | A (P) | Survey sent 8/4/25, received 8/5/25. | |
| State Senator District 29 | Tina Diedrick | GOP | Sent | ? | Survey sent 8/4/25, not yet returned. | |
| State Senator District 29 | Michael Holmstrom, Jr. | GOP | Sent | A (P) | Survey sent 8/4/25, received 8/4/25. | |
| State Senator District 29 | Kip Christianson | GOP | Sent | A (P) | Survey sent 8/4/25, received 8/4/25. | |
| State Senator District 29 | Louis McNutt | DFL | Sent | ? | Survey sent 8/4/25, not yet returned. |
SD47 Special Election - State Senate
| Race | Name | Party | Survey | Grade | Endorsement | Notes |
| State Senator District 47 | Dwight Dorau | GOP | Sent | A (P) | ENDORSED | |
| State Senator District 47 | Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger | DFL | Sent | F | Survey sent 8/4/25, not yet returned. Rep. Hemmingsen-Jaeger has a 0% 2A voting record. |
The MN Gun Owners Caucus & PAC will not endorse a candidate in this race until any endorsement or primary contest is resolved.
Grading & Endorsement Notes
Candidates who do not submit a survey are marked as such and graded on existing records and/or other public statements that they have made.
A (P) next to a grade indicates a provisional grade where the grade was based almost entirely on a candidate’s survey due to their lack of public record / voting record on gun rights issues.
A “?” indicates that we did not receive a completed survey from the candidate.
Any candidate that accepts a donation or endorsement from an anti-gun organization will receive an automatic “F”.
Endorsed candidates can download our endorsement graphics at this link.