Scott Jensen withdraws for governor’s race, announces bid for state auditor

Scott Jensen FOX 9 exclusive following election

Following his candidacy for governor, and ultimate loss to Tim Walz, Dr. Scott Jensen sat down with FOX 9?s Theo Keith to discuss his views on the future of the Republican party, and if he plans to run again.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - About seven months after announcing a bid in the 2026 race for Minnesota governor, Dr. Scott Jensen is withdrawing his name.

Scott Jensen withdraws from governor’s race

What we know:

Jensen announced in a social media video Monday morning he’s withdrawing from consideration for the governor’s race. Instead, he’s running for state auditor, a post currently held by Julie Blaha, who announce last year she wouldn't seek a third term.

Jensen ran against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in the 2022 election, and lost the race by 7.7 points.

Jensen has poor showing in GOP Caucus straw poll

By the numbers:

Minnesota’s Republican precinct caucus held a straw poll for the governor’s race last week. Jensen received only about 7% of the vote. House Speaker Lisa Demuth emerged as the early GOP favorite, getting 32% of the vote. Kendall Qualls, an Army veteran and former health care executive, got 25% of the vote.

"Our state’s problems cannot be fixed by simply replacing a leader. Our biggest problem right now is broken trust, and we all have an obligation to try to fix it. We have excellent candidates running for governor, and I am confident that one of my colleagues will be well-positioned to win in November," Jensen said. "That’s why I’m shifting my focus, I’m doing this because other talented servants can and will work with the Legislature, sign bills and enforce our laws. I’m ready and determined to be the person who opens up the hood and looks at what the engine of our government is doing and not doing, and fixing."

Demuth and Qualls are considered the two front-runners on the GOP side, while MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is also still in the race.

2026 Governor’s Race

What's next:

Minnesota will have a new governor after the November election. Walz announced last month he’s not seeking a third term. Walz has been under the microscope and faced heavy scrutiny after the discovery of at least $350 million in fraud during his tenure.

At the end of January, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced she’s running for governor in an effort to replace Walz.