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Sen. Amy Klobuchar Launches Minnesota Governor Bid
Klobuchar framed her campaign around the three principles of getting results, bringing people together, and cracking down on fraud and abuse in government.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) has officially announced that she is running for governor of Minnesota, saying in a video posted online that “these times call for grit and resilience” and urging voters to “stand up for what’s right and fix what’s wrong.”
“Minnesota, we’ve been through a lot,” Klobuchar said in the launch video, citing events of the past year such as the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, federal officers fatally shooting two Minnesotans in encounters, the killings of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and a school shooting that killed multiple children.
“That’s why today, I’m announcing my candidacy for governor of the state of Minnesota,” she said. “I like my job in the Senate, but I love our state more than any job.”
Klobuchar framed her campaign around the three core principles of getting results, bringing people together, and cracking down on fraud and abuse in government, and pledged to work with leaders from both parties in St. Paul.
“I will make sure the people who steal taxpayer money go to jail and root out the fraud, by changing the way state government works,” she said, adding that she would do the job “without fear or favor” and has “never shied away from taking on the powerful.”
Although she did not reference it directly, her mention of fraud comes as President Donald Trump and administration officials have taken action against Minnesota amid widespread fraud allegations in the state, including freezing federal child care funds after alleged fraudulent day care schemes were uncovered.
Federal officials have also indicted and convicted dozens of people in a $250 million operation that allegedly included crimes such as wire fraud, FBI Director Kash Patel said at the end of December 2025.
Klobuchar, in her announcement, also promised to confront federal immigration enforcement operations in the state, saying she is running “for every Minnesotan who wants ICE and its abusive tactics out of the state we love.”
In the video and an accompanying post, she cast her bid as a response to a difficult period for the state and the country.
“I’m asking Minnesotans across this state to not look down, to not look away,” she said. “I’m asking you to look up to the North Star and to see that there is a better future before us.”
The announcement follows a step that Klobuchar took on Jan. 22, when she filed paperwork creating “Minnesotans for Klobuchar,” a fundraising committee registered with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board as a potential candidate for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s nomination.
Klobuchar, 65, is in her fourth term as a U.S. senator. She briefly ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 before ending her campaign and backing Joe Biden. Earlier this month, she told CNN that she was “seriously considering” a run for governor after Gov. Tim Walz said he would not seek another term in 2026.
Walz, a Democrat, announced on Jan. 5 that he would not run again, saying he had decided he could not split his attention between governing and campaigning.
“Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences,” Walz said in a statement posted on X.
“So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.”
Walz, 61, first ran for reelection in 2024. He has served as governor since 2019 and won reelection in 2022 with 1.3 million votes to Republican Scott Jensen’s 1.1 million votes. He also served as the vice presidential nominee in then-Vice President Kamala Harris’s unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign.
Republicans running for governor include Jensen, Minnesota state Rep. Peggy Bennett, and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell. The last Republican governor left office in 2011, and Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidates have won every gubernatorial election since.
Democrats say they are confident that they can keep the governor’s office despite Walz’s departure and the national focus on fraud and federal oversight in Minnesota.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said in a statement after Walz’s announcement that the group remained sure that Minnesota would stay in Democratic hands.
“No matter who decides to run or how much national Republicans want to spend, the [Democratic Governors Association] remains very confident Minnesotans will elect another strong Democratic governor this November,” Beshear said earlier this month.
Former Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) said on Jan. 5 that he did not intend to enter the gubernatorial race or run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, removing another potential Democratic contender from the field as Klobuchar launches her campaign. In a post on X after her announcement, he said, “Sen. Amy Klobuchar has my complete and total endorsement for Governor of Minnesota!”
Klobuchar is now the fourth sitting senator to seek leadership of their home state as governor in 2026, alongside Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). Bennet, Blackburn, and Klobuchar are not up for reelection in 2026 and could remain in the Senate if they do not win their races.
Chase is an award-winning journalist. He covers national politics for The Epoch Times. For news tips, send Chase an email at [email protected] or connect with him on X.
