GOP primary winner Wiener says write-in filing by incumbent Utke could split vote

State Sen. Paul Utke filed as a write-in candidate for Senate District 5 in the 2026 midterm election after losing the Republican primary.

The primary winner, state Rep. Mike Wiener, criticized the move in a Saturday, Oct. 24, social media video. Wiener, who is from Long Prairie, said the filing could split the vote among Republicans in the deep red district, paving the way for victory for DFL candidate Skylar Fynboh.

"I want to take our state back from the Democrat socialist agenda," Wiener said in the video. "But apparently the powers that be have decided that my voice must be stopped."

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Elections

Republican Rep. Wiener ousts incumbent Sen. Utke in Senate District 5

Megan Buffington

Mike Wiener narrowly defeated Paul Utke in the Aug. 11, 2026, primary. Utke was initially reported as the winner due to an error in the results reporting in Todd County.

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In an interview Monday, Utke said he is not actively campaigning. The incumbent Republican from Park Rapids said he filed to ensure any write-in votes for him are tallied.

"There is no campaign going," he said.

Wiener narrowly defeated Utke in the August primary, winning by only 208 votes, which is less than 2%. Utke was initially reported as the winner due to an error in the results reporting in Todd County.

The local Republican Party endorsed Wiener in the primary to unseat Utke. The delegates also endorsed a primary opponent in 2022, whom Utke defeated.

Wiener has also received backing from Action 4 Liberty, a polarizing organization among Republicans that frequently criticizes seated legislators as "Republicans In Name Only," or RINOs.

Utke has served as Minnesota's District 5 senator since 2017.

Senate District 5 2026 Election Guide

Skylar Fynboh and Mike Wiener are running for state Senate District 5.

Wiener condemns filing, Utke denies campaign

When asked about the write-in campaign Wiener discussed in the video, Utke responded, "I don't have a write-in campaign."

In Minnesota, voters can write in a name for any office. But for federal, state and county offices, all write-in votes are only tallied as a group, rather than tallied to individual names, unless the candidate officially registers as a write-in, according to the Secretary of State's office.

"I am just registered only so that they count the write-in votes. There's nothing beyond that," Utke said.

In an interview Monday, Wiener argued the filing was a sign of campaigning. He also described seeing Utke campaign signs throughout the district.

"If you register with the state to get those numbers, that means there is an active campaign," he said. "And that can be denied all you want, but at the same time, there's no other reason to do that."

He said if Utke's intentions were to not split the election vote, the incumbent needed to concede and make a public statement.

"He needs to come out, concede, make a statement that he is not running, put his full support behind my candidacy and clear up any misunderstandings," Wiener said.

Considering Wiener's concerns, Utke said the primary winner's own video has drummed up more interest in the filing, potentially damaging the campaign.

"There's absolutely nothing going on,” Utke said. “They're making a big issue out of nothing and it's actually hurting them, which is the crazy thing, but it's nothing."

The dispute has also resulted in financial contributions to Wiener's campaign, according to Wiener.

The candidate said in a Tuesday Facebook post he received donations from supporters following the filing. This comes after Wiener said he pivoted election resources to other, more competitive races rather than his own general election campaign.

Wiener also reiterated worries about the district race "being torn apart by a challenger and handed to the Democrats."

In an interview Wednesday, DFL challenger Fynboh said residents in Senate District 5 should vote for whoever best aligns with their interests, regardless of party or primary.

"If people don't have confidence in Mike, and they've seen what Utke has to offer, people should be able to make that choice," he said.

When asked about a potential split Republican vote, Fynboh said, "People are going to vote how they want to. That write-in field is on every ballot every time, so it comes down to what the people want to do."

Other write-ins in the Northland

Several other candidates also filed for write-in status in Northern Minnesota races.

Candidates were required to file with the Secretary of State's office by Oct. 15.

Debra Topping is registered for the 8th Congressional District, which covers the entirety of northeastern Minnesota. Topping is a Fond du Lac band member and mother, great-grandmother and water protector, according to her campaign website.

Topping was not on the primary ballot in August, but she was among candidates vying for a District 8 DFL party endorsement earlier this year. Trina Swanson received the endorsement in May and went on to win the DFL primary. Republican incumbent Pete Stauber has held the seat since 2019.

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Other write-in candidates include Jon K. Vold for Kittson County District 5 commissioner, Isaac O. Lees for Mahnomen County attorney and Paul Rydeen for District 3 of the Clearwater Soil and Water Conservation District. No candidates filed during the filing period for either the Mahnomen County attorney or Clearwater SWCD seats.

A list of all registered write-in candidates is available on the secretary of state's website.

The 2026 general election is Nov. 3.