Klobuchar wins Minnesota governor’s race

Klobuchar will leave the U.S. Senate to take over Minnesota’s governorship, succeeding Democrat Tim Walz, who dropped his bid for a third term earlier this year. The race call gave her 56.2% of the vote and Demuth 41.9%, as of 12:09 a.m.

The campaign unfolded amid scrutiny of fraud in state social services programs. Authorities have found dozens of people guilty of taking hundreds of millions of dollars from programs for food, housing, health care and child care. Walz’s handling of the issue drew criticism, and Republicans sought to make it a central concern for voters.

Klobuchar pledged to audit state government and use new technology to find and prevent fraud. She also campaigned on lowering costs, tackling crime and improving schools. In her victory remarks, she said she would focus on moving Minnesota forward rather than shifting it left or right.

She also promised not to simply support President Donald Trump’s administration. Her campaign followed a long career in elected office: she became Hennepin County attorney before winning her first Senate race in 2006, and won re-election in 2012, 2018 and 2024.

Klobuchar’s Senate term runs through January 2031. Walz will choose someone to serve the remainder of it, and a special election could take place in 2027.

Klobuchar’s win keeps Minnesota’s governorship Democratic

Minnesota voters chose Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar to lead the state, rejecting Republican Lisa Demuth and extending Democrats’ hold on the governor’s office. The race call gave Klobuchar 56.2% of the vote and Demuth 41.9%, as of 12:09 a.m.

Klobuchar enters office after a campaign shaped by scrutiny of fraud in state social services programs. Authorities have found dozens of people guilty of taking hundreds of millions of dollars from programs intended to provide food, housing, health care and child care. Republicans tried to make the scandal a defining indictment of state government, while Klobuchar promised audits and new tools to detect fraud.

She also cast herself as a check on President Donald Trump, pledging not to simply back his administration. That stance carried added weight in a state where federal immigration officers were deployed as part of a crackdown that drew fierce opposition.

Klobuchar also campaigned on lowering costs, addressing crime and improving schools. She succeeds Democrat Tim Walz, who abandoned his bid for a third term amid criticism over the fraud issue. Her Senate term runs through January 2031, and Walz will select a replacement to serve the remaining period.

Klobuchar wins as Minnesota fraud scandal tests Democrats

Amy Klobuchar has won Minnesota’s governorship, but the election unfolded under the shadow of a fraud scandal that damaged outgoing Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and gave Republicans an opening. Klobuchar received 56.2% of the vote to Lisa Demuth’s 41.9%, as of 12:09 a.m.

Authorities have found dozens of people guilty of taking hundreds of millions of dollars from state social services programs. Walz ended his third-term campaign after the investigation attracted intense attention, and Republicans sought to hold Democrats responsible for the failures. Klobuchar’s victory keeps the governor’s office in Democratic hands despite that challenge.

Klobuchar has pledged to audit state government and add technology to detect and deter fraud. Those promises put accountability at the center of her agenda, but the scandal’s scale leaves her with a major test as she takes office. She has also emphasized lowering costs, crime and education.

The senator will succeed Walz and become Minnesota’s first woman governor. Her Senate term continues until January 2031, so Walz must choose someone to fill the seat for the remainder of the term; a special election could be held in 2027.