Minnesota governor primary election: Results
MN primary: Amy Klobuchar victory speech
Amy Klobuchar thanked Minnesota voters and pledged to deliver results after winning the DFL primary for governor.
(FOX 9) - Minnesota's primary election is today, Aug. 11. Republican and Democratic candidates are vying for their party's nomination for the general election on Nov. 3. Minnesota has an open governor's race for the first time since 2018 after Democrat Gov. Tim Walz decided not to seek a third term.
FULL LIST: Minnesota primary election results
Minnesota primary election governor results
It is a crowded race on both sides for the primary election for Minnesota governor.
Timeline:
Results will start coming in after polls close at 8 p.m. Find live results below.
Lisa Demuth wins Republican primary for governor
Big picture view:
The Republican primary for governor features seven candidates, with the leading names including Kendall Qualls (the party’s endorsed pick), Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Who is Lisa Demuth?
MN Gubernatorial primary: GOP candidate Lisa Demuth
Minnesota Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth joins FOX 9 All Day to discuss her plan to fight fraud ahead of Tuesday's Primary Election.
Dig deeper:
Lisa Demuth has served as speaker of the Minnesota House since 2024 and served as minority leader before that. She was first elected to the House in 2018. She became the first Black lawmakers to serve in the role. Before entering the house she was a small business owner and served on the ROCORI school board.
What they're saying:
Demuth shared the following statement after winning the GOP nomination:
"We began this campaign nine months ago. And the thing I’ve heard over and over from Minnesotans from all walks of life is that people are ready for a fresh start," Demuth said. "The Walz/Klobuchar status quo simply isn’t working. The Minnesota we all know and love is slipping away.
When Walz presides over a multi-billion-dollar fraud scandal that the New York Times calls ‘staggering’ in ‘scale and brazenness’ – it’s time for a change. When the ‘Quality Learing Center’ becomes a national punchline – it’s time for a change.
When Minnesota kids falls behind Mississippi kids in educational outcomes – it’s time for a change. When Walz and the Democrats squander an $18 billion surplus and raise taxes by $10 billion – it’s time for a change.
When Tim Walz – a man Amy Klobuchar calls a ‘great governor’ and ‘incredible’ – pardons a convicted child rapist – it’s time for a change.
We can’t afford more of the same. And that’s exactly what Amy Klobuchar would be as governor. Amy Klobuchar is a career politician and 20-year Washington D.C. insider. She’s been running for office for more than 30 years. She simply cannot deliver the kind of change Minnesotans want.
This election is about their future and the future of all Minnesotans. Over the next 84 days, my terrific running mate Ryan Wilson and I will be crisscrossing our great state and listening to all Minnesotans: Democrats, Independents and Republicans.
Together, we can reverse course and renew the promise of Minnesota."
Democratic primary for governor
Dig deeper:
Seven candidates are running for the Democratic nomination for governor. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is the DFL-endorsed candidate and was leading in the polls prior to election day. Klobuchar first entered the race in January after Gov. Walz announced he would not seek a third term.
Democratic gubernatorial candidates:
- Kobey J Layne
- Mohammad Wazwaz
- Thomas Evenstad
- Amy Klobuchar
- Po Vang
- Bill E Gates J.R.
- Ole "Viking" Savior
Who is Amy Klobuchar?
Big picture view:
Klobuchar has been the leading candidate. She has the party endorsement and Walz' backing.
Klobuchar, 66, is in her fourth Senate term, after being the first woman to represent Minnesota in the position – first running in 2006 after a career as a Hennepin County prosecutor. She briefly ran a presidential campaign in 2020.
Since winning her election in 2006, Klobuchar has held a seat in the U.S. Senate, rising to 14th in the Senate in seniority, and the third Democrat in Senate party leadership.
She graduated from Wayzata High School and then went on to earn degrees from Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School.
She is married to John Bessler, and together they have one daughter, Abigail.
In May, Klobuchar announced that Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer would be her running mate for Minnesota governor, putting him in the role of lieutenant governor if they win the election.
The Source: Information in this story comes from The Associated Press' election results and previous FOX 9 reporting.