Democratic U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is projected to become the first woman to serve as governor of Minnesota. CBS News called the race on Tuesday, indicating that Klobuchar defeated her Republican opponent, the state House Speaker, in the general election.
The winner will succeed Governor Tim Walz, a two-term Democrat and former vice presidential candidate. Walz decided not to seek an unprecedented third term less than four months after launching his reelection campaign. He made this decision amid accusations of fraud in state programs, which his office stated it was working to combat. Klobuchar entered the race following Walz's announcement of his departure.
The election was significantly shaped by a scandal involving state-run social services programs. According to The Associated Press, dozens of individuals have been convicted of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from programs designed to provide food, shelter, health care, and child care. Federal prosecutors estimate that the total amount of fraud could exceed nine billion dollars.
These legal cases progressed through the courts for years with limited attention outside of Minnesota. The situation changed late last year when a video from a right-wing influencer went viral, drawing the attention of President Donald Trump. Trump and other Republicans subsequently focused on the state's large Somali community because most of the defendants are of Somali descent. Walz and other local officials have criticized this specific focus.
Klobuchar was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. She has won every Senate race by double digits, although her margin of victory has narrowed over time. Her lead decreased from 35 points in 2012 to 24 points in 2018 and then to 16 points in 2024. She also briefly ran for president in 2020, suspending her campaign the day before Super Tuesday to endorse former President Joe Biden. AP reported that she has repeatedly stated in interviews that she does not plan to run for president in 2028.
Her campaign focused on lowering costs for Minnesotans, particularly in the areas of health care, child care, and housing. Klobuchar pledged to audit state government and invest in technology to detect and prevent future fraud. She also highlighted her background as Hennepin County's head prosecutor, promising to ensure that people who break the law are convicted. Her platform included calls to reduce barriers to homebuilding, improve school test scores, and reduce screen time in schools.
Her opponent was the top Republican in state government, who served as House Speaker. This official was first elected to the House in 2018 to represent a rural district outside St. Cloud. She became speaker under a power-sharing deal after the 2024 elections left the chamber evenly split between the two parties. She would have become the state's first Black governor had she won.
The Republican primary was competitive, with the eventual nominee defeating MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and Kendall Qualls, who had the state Republican Party's endorsement. Demuth sought President Trump's endorsement before he backed Lindell, according to AP. Democrats noted this sequence of events during the general campaign.
The losing candidate made fraud a central theme of her campaign, urging Minnesotans who have traditionally voted Democratic to try the Republican Party. She also pledged to fight violent crime and improve education. Republicans had hoped the scandal would help end their long losing streak in governor's races. Minnesota has not elected a Republican governor since Tim Pawlenty in 2006.
Financial records cited by AP show a significant disparity in campaign fundraising. Through mid-October, Klobuchar had raised more than 15.5 million dollars for her campaign. In comparison, her opponent raised 3.6 million dollars.
