Klobuchar Wins Minnesota Governorship, Becomes State’s First Woman Governor

The Wire: Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar won Minnesota’s open governorship Tuesday, defeating Republican Lisa Demuth 55.5% to 42.6%. This 12.9-point margin makes her the first woman ever elected governor of the state.

Why it counts: Klobuchar, one of Minnesota’s most popular politicians, keeps the governor’s office in Democratic hands and extends the party’s hold on the seat toward a two-decade run. Minnesota was guaranteed its first woman governor regardless of the outcome, since both major-party nominees were women, and Klobuchar’s win adds a marquee hold to a strong Democratic night.

The margin: Klobuchar took 55.5% to Demuth’s 42.6%, with most of the vote counted. She carried a wide fundraising advantage and entered the race as a well-known statewide figure, complicating Republican hopes of capitalizing on a difficult stretch for the outgoing administration.

The fine print: The seat was open after Democratic Gov. Tim Walz reversed course and dropped a bid for an unprecedented third consecutive term, prompting Klobuchar to launch her campaign in late January. Demuth, the Minnesota House speaker from Cold Spring and the top Republican in state government, was the first woman and first Black candidate to win a major party’s gubernatorial nomination in Minnesota.

On the record: Klobuchar centered her campaign on cracking down on the social services fraud that dogged Walz’s tenure, pledging a top-to-bottom audit of state government and new leadership at troubled agencies. She told supporters she would serve all Minnesotans, “whether or not I got your vote.”

The counter: Demuth ran on cutting taxes and regulation, strengthening public safety and rooting out fraud, and sought to tie the state’s problems to years of Democratic control. Republicans, who have not won the governorship since 2006, could not overcome Klobuchar’s popularity and the national environment.

The backdrop: Minnesota has not elected a Republican governor since Tim Pawlenty in 2006, and Klobuchar’s win pushes that streak toward 20 years. Her victory came the same night Democrat Peggy Flanagan won the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, giving the party a clean sweep of Minnesota’s marquee races.

Looking ahead: Klobuchar will be inaugurated in January alongside running mate Ben Schierer. Her move from the Senate to the governor’s office will open her U.S. Senate seat, a vacancy the state will need to fill.