The 1996 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic senator Paul Wellstone won re-election to a second term defeating Republican former senator Rudy Boschwitz in a rematch.
Primary elections were held on September 10. Both Wellstone and Boschwitz were easily nominated.
The Minnesota Republican convention declined to endorse a candidate, having deadlocked on fourteen ballots over two days. Although McKasy led on every ballot, he never received more than 56 percent of the delegates' vote. 60 percent was required for an endorsement. The non-endorsement was seen as a victory for Boschwitz, who was better known and more popular among the general Republican electorate.
Wellstone had unseated the two-term senator Boschwitz in the 1990 election. Boschwitz filed for a rematch. He released ads calling Wellstone "embarrassingly liberal" and "Senator Welfare", and accused Wellstone of supporting flag burning, a move some believe backfired. As in 1990, Wellstone had a massive grassroots campaign that inspired college students, poor people and minorities to get involved in politics for the first time. Boschwitz significantly outspent Wellstone on campaign advertising and the race was closely contested, but Wellstone defeated Boschwitz by a nine-point margin in a three-way race. Dean Barkley received 7% of the vote and was appointed by Governor Jesse Ventura to serve the last 60 days of Wellstone's term after Wellstone died in a plane crash 11 days before the 2002 election.