DFL Congressman Tim Walz elected governor of Minnesota

DFL Congressman Tim Walz has won the race for governor in Minnesota, defeating Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson.

 

Walz was first elected to the U.S. House in 2006, representing Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. Prior to his political career, Walz worked as a school teacher. He also served in the Army National Guard and is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom. Walz was one of the first to announce his run for governor back in March 2017. Walz is up by an average of 9 percent in recent polling.

Johnson is a Hennepin County Commissioner with a term expiring in 2020. Johnson previously served as a Republican member of the Minnesota House. He was the Republican candidate for governor in the 2014 election. Johnson was born in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. After graduating from Georgetown Law School in 1992, Johnson worked for several law firms and for Cargill.