Minnesota election results: Walz re-elected governor

Tim Walz celebrates re-election for Minnesota governor: RAW

Gov. Tim Walz won re-election, defeating Republican challenger Scott Jensen. He celebrated his campaign's victory on Tuesday night, thanking supporters.

(FOX 9) - Gov. Tim Walz has defeated Scott Jensen in the race for Minnesota governor, earning a second term leading the state.

Jensen on Tuesday night told FOX 9's Paul Blume he will not concede – he wants all votes counted. But then after midnight Wednesday, Jensen's campaign took the stage and conceded.

"Tim Walz is the governor for four more years," Jensen said during his concession speech. "Republicans, quite frankly, we didn't have a red wave. It was a blue wave."

Scott Jensen concedes in Minnesota governor race: There wasn't a red wave, it was a blue wave

Dr. Scott Jensen speaks with supports as he concedes in the race for Minnesota governor versus Tim Walz.

Most polls over the last year showed Walz with a significant advantage over Republican challenger Scott Jensen, even as, nationwide, many Democrats in the midterm elections were facing struggling poll numbers amid economic issues and public safety concerns – both of which were targets in ad campaigns in Minnesota.

Walz approaches podium for victory speech

Incumbent Tim Walz has been reelected to be Minnesota’s next governor after beating challenger Dr. Scott Jensen. FOX 9 is onsite at the DFL headquarters for the official announcement.

Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan easily won their 2018 race by an 11-point margin. Jensen, who was joined by former Minnesota Viking Matt Birk as running mate in his campaign, quickly became the favorite to win the Republican nomination as he gained a national following from skepticism over COVID-19 vaccines and opposition to mask mandates – along with other debunked thinking.

Jensen’s controversial opinions proved a negative on the campaign trail as Walz and attack ads painted Jensen as an extremist. On the other side, Jensen’s campaign put a focus on Walz’s record on public safety, spiking crime rates during the pandemic, and his response to the 2020 unrest.

Scott Jensen: No concession until all the results are in

Dr. Scott Jensen says he wants to wait until more results are in before he considers any concession in the race for Minnesota governor -- after Governor Walz has claimed victory and projections have Walz winning.

Ads from the Freedom Club, which created the "Walz Failed" signs seen at the Minnesota State Fair, ran an ad blaming Walz for the spike in carjackings in the metro. Carjackings surged in 2020 and 2021, particularly in Minneapolis.

Scott Jensen remains optimistic, says ‘nothing left in tank’ as results continue being reported

Minnesota Governor candidate Scott Jensen speaks with FOX 9 as precinct results begin to become official, saying he's optimistic about results they're seeing so far.

The Republican Governors Association also ran ads claiming Walz supported efforts to defund the police – a claim that a FOX 9 Fact Check found to be false.

RELATED: Walz-Jensen debate: Minnesota gubernatorial candidates in their own words

In his own set of ads, Walz defended his records in a set of ads, pointing towards efforts by Walz to increase public safety spending during the 2022 legislative session and efforts to crack down on illegal guns.

Walz, Jensen both ‘end strong’ Minnesota governor’s race

The election to decide the new governor of Minnesota will be determined soon as polls close at 8 p.m. FOX 9 attended when both candidates cast their vote today.

In the weeks leading up to the election, both Walz and Jensen got some key endorsements. First, on October 26, former President Donald Trump put out a message on his social media platform backing Jensen. Jensen spent much of his campaign trying to put some separation between himself and the former president.

In response, Jensen was lukewarm about the endorsement, putting out a statement saying he hasn’t sought the endorsement of any politician.

"While we have not actively sought the endorsement of political leaders, we are grateful for those who have recognized our ability to lead and Heal Minnesota," Jensen’s statement read.

The next day, Walz got the backing of former governor Jesse Ventura. Walz gladly accepted the endorsement despite Ventura’s conspiratorial thinking.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan celebrates re-election: RAW

Gov. Tim Walz has defeated Scott Jensen in the race for Minnesota governor, earning a second term leading the state of Minnesota. On Tuesday night, Walz's Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan celebrated the campaign's re-election.