(NewsNation) — NewsNation/ Decision Desk HQ has called the race for Minnesota Secretary of State in favor of Steve Simon.
Incumbent Democrat Steve Simon, who has held the seat since 2015, was locked in a bid for reelection against Republican challenger, former attorney Kim Crockett, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
As with many secretary of state races across the country, election integrity was a central issue for Simon’s and Crockett’s campaigns. Crockett echoed Trump’s false claim that the 2020 election was fraught with election fraud, despite no evidence to support that claim.
When asked about accepting the results of midterm elections, Crockett first said she would have to wait and see. She later said she would accept the results but refused to say if she had confidence in the way the midterms were being conducted.
Simon defended the election process in the state and pointed to Minnesota’s historically high levels of voter turnout as evidence of trust in the system.
Crockett also advocated for reforming the voting system. She is in favor of requiring an ID to vote, reducing early voting, banning ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting, and ending same-day registration. She also said the state should review voting technology and conduct random post-election audits.
Simon’s campaign said requirements like voter ID would disenfranchise eligible voters.
Crockett also accused Simon of breaking the law during the pandemic when he acted to ease restrictions for absentee voting.
In the weeks leading up to the election, 83% of Minnesotans said they trusted the election system. Simon also led Crockett in the polls by 7 percentage points.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.