ELECTION UPDATE | Minn. Sen. Amy Klobuchar easily wins 3rd term

WASHINGTON (AP)

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar has easily won a third term in Minnesota.

Klobuchar, who emerged on the national stage recently as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee drawing some of then-Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh's harshest rebuttals, defeated Republican state Rep. Jim Newberger on Tuesday. It comes as Klobuchar’s name swirls amid the crop of potential Democratic presidential candidates for 2020.

The race was never close. Newberger is a little-known state lawmaker who struggled to raise money against the popular Klobuchar.

Republicans put far more focus on the state’s other Senate race to complete the last two years of Al Franken’s term. State Sen. Karin Housley is carrying the party’s hopes in that race against Democratic Sen. Tina Smith.