U.S. House, Minnesota 6th Congressional District · November 3, 2026

Who should I vote for in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District?

Tom Emmer has the strongest record in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Tom Emmer scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Doug Chapin at 56, as of October 5, 2026. Tom Emmer's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Doug Chapin's highest marks are command of the job and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.

DFL

Doug Chapin

56 / 100

Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria

Character
50
Qualifications
60
Performance
50

Campaign siteFEC filings

Republican · incumbent

Strongest record

Tom Emmer

66 / 100

Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria

Character
55
Qualifications
85
Performance
56

Campaign siteOfficial officeFEC filings

The good, the bad and the unresolved

The record

The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.

Doug Chapin

Tom Emmer

Who they are

Character

Integrity

Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.

2 / 4

Doug Chapin. A candidate financial disclosure was filed with the House Clerk on May 22, 2026, and FEC reports are on file. An FEC administrative fines search returned no results for his committee.

Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk financial disclosure index, 2025, FEC administrative fines search

2 / 4

Tom Emmer. His 2025 annual House financial disclosure was filed April 29, 2026, and FEC reports are on file. Searches of the House Ethics Committee site and FEC administrative fines returned no results.

Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk financial disclosure index, 2025, House Committee on Ethics site search, FEC administrative fines search

Courage

Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.

NR

Doug Chapin. No public record found.

3 / 4

Tom Emmer. Voted Nay on both January 2021 electoral vote objections while the Republican leader and whip voted Yea. Voted Yea on the Respect for Marriage Act in July and December 2022 while both voted Nay.

Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, January 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, January 7, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 373, July 19, 2022, House Clerk Roll Call 513, December 8, 2022

Accountability

Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.

2 / 4

Doug Chapin. Took part in the August 4, 2026 Farmfest congressional candidate forum. Told St. Cloud LIVE he has held about 15 town halls across the district, a self-reported count.

Sources: MinnPost, August 5, 2026, St. Cloud LIVE, September 30, 2026

2 / 4

Tom Emmer. Held telephone town halls in April and June 2025. Was absent from the August 4, 2026 Farmfest candidate forum. Told St. Cloud LIVE in September 2026 that security concerns changed how his office holds public events.

Sources: St. Cloud LIVE, June 3, 2025, MinnPost, August 5, 2026, St. Cloud LIVE, September 30, 2026

Temperament and judgment

Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.

2 / 4

Doug Chapin. Led the elections team at The Pew Charitable Trusts for more than a decade and founded a University of Minnesota election administration program. No formal conduct finding was found.

Source: St. Cloud LIVE, September 30, 2026

2 / 4

Tom Emmer. Has held elected office in the Minnesota House and the U.S. House, where he is in his sixth term and serves as Majority Whip. A House Ethics Committee site search returned no results for his name.

Sources: Official House biography, House Committee on Ethics site search

Fidelity to the oath

Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.

NR

Doug Chapin. No public record found.

2 / 4

Tom Emmer. Voted Nay on both January 2021 electoral vote objections (Roll Calls 10 and 11). Is listed as an amicus on the December 10, 2020 House members' brief supporting the plaintiff's motions in Texas v. Pennsylvania.

Sources: U.S. Supreme Court docket, No. 22O155, amicus brief, House Clerk Roll Call 10, January 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, January 7, 2021

What they bring

Qualifications

Relevant experience

Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.

2 / 4

Doug Chapin. Attorney with a career in election policy: elections counsel to Democrats on the U.S. Senate Rules Committee, private practice, more than a decade at The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the University of Minnesota. Has not held elected office.

Sources: St. Cloud LIVE, September 30, 2026, St. Cloud Times via Yahoo News

4 / 4

Tom Emmer. Serving his sixth term in the U.S. House seat he is seeking. Previously served in the Minnesota House and on the Independence and Delano city councils.

Source: Official House biography

Command of the job

Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.

3 / 4

Doug Chapin. Issues page, last updated July 28, 2026, lists 15 topics with specific commitments within congressional powers, such as eliminating the Social Security tax cap and enlarging the House. St. Cloud LIVE describes him as an election administration expert.

Sources: Campaign site, Issues, St. Cloud LIVE, September 30, 2026

4 / 4

Tom Emmer. House Majority Whip and member of the Financial Services Committee. GovTrack lists him as vice chair of its digital assets subcommittee. His campaign site publishes issue positions.

Sources: Official House biography, GovTrack member page, Campaign site, Principles and Key Issues

Communication

Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.

3 / 4

Doug Chapin. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey, publishes an issues page with short plain-language positions, and took part in the August 2026 Farmfest candidate forum.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Campaign site, Issues, MinnPost, August 5, 2026

3 / 4

Tom Emmer. Offers an email newsletter and announced telephone town halls in 2025. His campaign site explains issue positions. Had not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey when checked.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Official press release, April 1, 2025, Official House site

Roots in the constituency

Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.

2 / 4

Doug Chapin. Lives in Hanover. FEC state totals list $157,503 from Minnesota, about 81 percent of his $193,478 in itemized individual contributions through July 22, 2026.

Sources: Delano Herald Journal, March 5, 2026, FEC candidate page, individual contributions by state, FEC committee page

3 / 4

Tom Emmer. Lives in Delano and served on the Independence and Delano city councils. FEC state totals for 2025 to 2026 list $923,341 from Minnesota, about 9 percent of roughly $10.1 million across all states.

Sources: Official House biography, FEC candidate page, individual contributions by state

Management

Can build and run an organization.

2 / 4

Doug Chapin. Led the Pew Charitable Trusts elections team for more than a decade. FEC shows no administrative fines for his committee. Its first report, covering July 1 to September 30, 2025, was filed November 16, 2025.

Sources: St. Cloud LIVE, September 30, 2026, FEC administrative fines search, FEC committee page, filings

3 / 4

Tom Emmer. Chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee for the 116th and 117th Congresses. It reported $289.3 million in receipts for 2021 to 2022. FEC administrative fines search shows none for Emmer for Congress.

Sources: Official House biography, FEC committee page, NRCC, 2021 to 2022, FEC administrative fines search

What they deliver

Performance

Results

Turns ideas into outcomes.

2 / 4

Doug Chapin. Founded electionline.org in 2001 and an election administration certificate program at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Sources: electionline.org, About, St. Cloud LIVE, September 30, 2026

3 / 4

Tom Emmer. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.640 against a benchmark of 1.207 in the 118th Congress, within the Center's Meets Expectations range. Three bills he sponsored were signed into law. GovTrack counts six including incorporated bills.

Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking, 118th Congress House scores, Center for Effective Lawmaking methodology, GovTrack member page, GovTrack, H.R. 534 (115th)

Showing up

Does the basic work of the job.

NR

Doug Chapin. No public record found.

2 / 4

Tom Emmer. Missed 164 of 6,404 roll call votes, 2.6 percent, from January 2015 to September 2026, per GovTrack.

Source: GovTrack member page

Constituent service

Solves problems for the people they represent.

NR

Doug Chapin. No public record found.

3 / 4

Tom Emmer. Lists one district office, in Otsego, and offers casework with federal agencies and staff mobile office hours. No published casework totals could be verified.

Sources: Official House site, Offices, Official House site, Mobile Office Hours

Coalition building

Wins support beyond their own faction.

NR

Doug Chapin. No public record found.

1 / 4

Tom Emmer. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index, latest House scores posted (118th Congress, 2023): score of -1.06197, ranked 345th of 436 members scored, which is in the bottom quarter.

Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House scores

Stewardship of public money

Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.

NR

Doug Chapin. No public record found.

NR

Tom Emmer. No public record found.

How to read this

Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.

A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.

No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 5, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.

Questions

Who should I vote for in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District?

Tom Emmer has the strongest record in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Tom Emmer scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Doug Chapin at 56, as of October 5, 2026. Tom Emmer's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Doug Chapin's highest marks are command of the job and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.

Who is running in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District in 2026?

Doug Chapin (DFL), Tom Emmer (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.

Is Doug Chapin a good candidate for Congress?

Doug Chapin scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.

Is Tom Emmer a good candidate for Congress?

Tom Emmer scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 56 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.

How is the strongest record decided?

The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.

More on this race: every Minnesota race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Minnesota 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.