Upset Brief · MN-04 · Paul Wikstrom (R) vs. Betty McCollum (DFL), incumbent
A long shot on the math: it takes a 33.3-point national wave.
0%
odds today
0%
odds with the plan
106,955
net votes to find
38
days left, ballots already coming in
Where
- 01+2,134St. PaulStarting line McCollum +59. 3.7% split their ticket.
- 02+806WoodburyStarting line McCollum +20. 4.8% split their ticket.
- 03+494MaplewoodStarting line McCollum +26. 5.8% split their ticket.
- 04+393OakdaleStarting line McCollum +17. 6.3% split their ticket.
- 05+345RosevilleStarting line McCollum +44. 3.6% split their ticket.
- 06+345ShoreviewStarting line McCollum +27. 4.5% split their ticket.
The top 12 cities and townships carry 81% of the plan.
How
- P+6,721Persuade6,721 voters who split their ticket in 2024 or 2022 and lean McCollum today.
- M+5MobilizeAt least 92 voters who skipped the 2022 midterm in the few places Wikstrom carries.
- C+401ConsolidateVoters who went third party in recent races, in the towns that lean his way.
Plus a national shift of 33.3 points of margin (99,829 votes) that no campaign controls.
What has to be true
- Wikstrom wins half of the ticket splitters leaning McCollum, the ceiling.
- Woodbury, Oakdale and Lake Elmo in Washington County are the closest ground in the district.
- A national wave of about 33.3 points arrives on top of a flawless campaign.
- Anything short of that is still a result worth building: every point gained here is a list of identified voters for the next race.
The numbers behind it
- 01Crossover regression211 precincts, R² 0.983, 42 crossover precincts identified
- 02Monte Carlo20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 7-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -134,972 to -65,002 votes.
- 03Money, FEC report through July 22Wikstrom $2,205 cash on hand; McCollum $498,697.
- 04Call program for this list10,127 households, 30,382 dials, about 1,592 live conversations: an estimated $4,519 at published rates.
Independent analysis by The Political Group from official Minnesota Secretary of State precinct returns (2022, 2024), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 26, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.