Klobuchar faces Demuth for Minnesota governor amid fraud scandal

Walz’s withdrawal reshaped Minnesota’s governor contest

Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth are competing in Minnesota’s Nov. 3 governor election, where a fraud investigation involving hundreds of millions of dollars stolen from state-run social services programs has become the campaign’s defining issue. Klobuchar is the front-runner, helped by two decades in the Senate, four statewide election wins by double-digit margins, no serious opposition in the Democratic primary and more than four times as much fundraising as Demuth. The winner will replace outgoing Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats’ most recent nominee for vice president. Minnesota has not elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006.

Dozens of people have been convicted of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from state-run social services programs meant to provide food, shelter, healthcare and childcare to people in need. According to the Associated Press, charges worked their way through the court system for years with little notice outside Minnesota until late last year, when videos from a right-wing influencer went viral and drew President Donald Trump’s attention. Trump then directed his focus toward Minnesota’s government and the state’s Somali refugee community.

Under the resulting scrutiny, Walz dropped his reelection campaign less than four months after announcing it, and Democrats quickly coalesced around Klobuchar. The Associated Press described the fraud investigation as a national embarrassment and said Trump used the scandal last winter to justify a violent crackdown on immigrants in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area, galvanizing liberal opposition to him.

Republicans believe sustained attention to the scandal has angered many Minnesotans and gives Demuth a path to end the party’s statewide losing streak. Demuth is the top Republican in state government. First elected in 2018 to represent a rural district outside St. Cloud, she became House speaker under a power-sharing deal after the 2024 elections left the chamber evenly split between the parties.

The election would mark a first in Minnesota politics: the state’s next governor would be its first female governor. Demuth would also be the state’s first Black governor and potentially the first Black female governor in the country. Keisha Lance Bottoms, another Black woman, is running for Georgia governor.

Klobuchar pledged to conduct a thorough audit of state government and invest in new technology to catch and prevent fraud. Pointing to her pre-Senate career as Hennepin County district attorney, she said she would “ensure people breaking the law are convicted.” Demuth urged Minnesotans long accustomed to voting Democratic to give the Republican Party a try, saying the fraud scandal shows “the status quo isn’t working.”

Klobuchar also focused on rising costs, calling for reduced barriers to homebuilding, better school test scores and less screen time in schools. She ran for president in 2020 before stepping aside to endorse Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination. She has repeatedly told interviewers that she will not run in 2028, when Democrats are expected to have a crowded primary field.

Demuth pledged to fight violent crime and improve education, highlighting in particular acts of violence committed by Somalis. Democrats have tied her to Donald Trump, noting that she sought his endorsement in the Republican primary before he backed MyPillow founder Mike Lindell.

Campaign finance records show that through mid-October, Klobuchar had raised more than $15.5 million for her campaign, compared with Demuth’s $3.6 million. Without a serious Democratic challenger, Klobuchar was able to build up cash ahead of the August primary while Demuth focused on winning a crowded Republican field. The Associated Press described Klobuchar’s fundraising advantage as commanding.

The campaigns offer contrasting responses to the fraud case: Klobuchar has pledged to thoroughly audit state government, invest in new technology to catch and prevent fraud, and ensure people breaking the law are convicted; Demuth argues the scandal shows the status quo is not working and asks long-standing Democratic voters to try the Republican Party. Klobuchar called for reducing barriers to homebuilding, improving school test scores and reducing screen time in schools. Demuth pledged to fight violent crime and improve education. Whichever candidate wins will become Minnesota’s first female governor, and Demuth could also become the state’s first Black governor.