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(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.
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.
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.
Republican gubernatorial candidates:
- John Krhin
- Ross Nova
- Loner Blue
- Mike Lindell
- Raul J Estrada
- Lisa Demuth
- Kendall Qualls
Who is Mike Lindell?
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Mike Lindell proposes eliminating state income tax
Mike Lindell, a Republican candidate for Minnesota governor endorsed by President Trump but not the state GOP, joined FOX 9 All Day ahead of the primary. He discussed his budget proposal to eliminate Minnesota's state income tax and said savings from direct primary care and other changes would help cover the cost. Lindell also addressed questions about his residency, immigration, MyPillow and bipartisan cooperation.
Dig deeper:
Mike Lindell served as the CEO of MyPillow, the company he founded, for more than two decades before stepping down earlier this month to focus on his gubernatorial campaign. Lindell says he comes from a humble beginning, raised in a trailer park in Carver County. In his early adulthood, he overcame a crack addiction and later turned to Christianity. He founded himself and turned into a national corporation. Lindell has been a loyal supporter of President Trump, supporting him throughout each of his presidential campaign. Trump endorsed Lindell run for governor last month. The support has come at a cost, as Lindell has faced defamation lawsuits over false claims he's made about voting machine companies and an employee for one of those companies.
After getting President Trump's endorsement, Lindell raced ahead in the polls, pushing to a nine-point lead in a SurveyUSA poll. However, the latest SurveyUSA poll showed Demuth narrowing the gap to just six points.
Who is Kendall Qualls?
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MN primary election: GOP gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls
The GOP-endorsed candidate for Minnesota governor Kendall Qualls joins FOX 9 All Day discuss his campaign ahead of the primary election on Aug. 11.
Dig deeper:
Qualls earned the Minnesota Republican endorsement during a controversial convention vote in May. Qualls says he was raised in a lower class family, growing up in Harlem, New York and later living in a trailer in rural Oklahoma. He went from those humble beginning to an executive with Johnson & Johnson, Roche Labs and Medtronic. He also served in the United States Army, including a tour in South Korea.
Who is Lisa Demuth?
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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.
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.