Democrat Amy Klobuchar won the Minnesota governor's race over Republican Lisa Demuth on Tuesday night, becoming the first woman elected governor of the state. She entered the race late after Gov. Tim Walz said he would not seek a third term, and she campaigned on ending fraud in state government.
Democrat Amy Klobuchar has won the race for Minnesota governor over Republican Lisa Demuth. Klobuchar, 66, defeated Demuth, the state House speaker. She became the first woman elected governor of Minnesota on Tuesday night. Minnesota has not elected a Republican governor since Tim Pawlenty in 2006.
How the race took shape
Gov. Tim Walz announced he would not seek a third term, dropping his bid in January amid the state's fraud scandals. Klobuchar entered the race shortly after he withdrew. She chose Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer as her running mate for lieutenant governor. Klobuchar did not face any serious opposition in the DFL primary in August.
Campaign themes
Klobuchar campaigned on ending fraud in state government and pledged an audit of state government. She also pledged to make sure people who steal taxpayer money go to jail and to root out fraud by changing how state government works.
The Republican nominee and other candidates
Demuth ran with running mate Ryan Wilson after winning a crowded August Republican primary. She beat MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, whom President Donald Trump had endorsed, and Kendall Qualls, who had the state Republican Party's endorsement. Three candidates were listed on the ballot: Klobuchar, Demuth and the Green Party's Steven Young. Either Klobuchar or Demuth would have become Minnesota's first female governor, and Demuth could also have become the state's first Black governor and governor of color.
