Amy Klobuchar wins Minnesota governor primary amid a fraud scandal

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., has won the Democratic nomination for governor of Minnesota as she continues her bid to replace outgoing Gov. Tim Walz, who dropped out of his re-election bid in the midst of a massive fraud scandal.

Klobuchar, Minnesota’s senior U.S. senator and a former Democratic presidential candidate, defeated a field of long-shot challengers in Tuesday’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party primary.

Klobuchar will move on to face the winner of the crowded GOP primary in November.

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Walz announced earlier this year that he would not seek another term as governor as his administration faced intense criticism over its handling of fraud involving Minnesota government programs that federal prosecutors say could end up costing the taxpayers over $9 billion.

The fraud issue has loomed over Minnesota politics, with Republicans hammering Walz and state Democrats over what they say was a failure to prevent the misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Klobuchar entered the race with significant advantages in name recognition and political experience. She has represented Minnesota in the Senate since 2007 and previously served as Hennepin County attorney.

She also sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 before ending her campaign and endorsing former President Joe Biden.

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When she rolled out her governing priorities in May, Klobuchar said: “You are right to be angry about the fraud. It is unacceptable and it must end.” She promised a “top-to-bottom audit” of state government beginning on “day one.”

The Plymouth, Minnesota born Klobuchar’s campaign includes a policy plank titled “Make Government Accountable and Root out Fraud.” It says that “fixing the government is the foundation of everything we need to do” and promises “immediate action to root out fraud.”

Klobuchar’s gubernatorial campaign puts her in the unusual position of seeking a new office without first relinquishing her seat in Washington.

Klobuchar has not resigned from the Senate while campaigning for governor. Her current Senate term does not expire until January 2031, meaning a loss in the gubernatorial race would not by itself cost her the Senate seat.

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If Klobuchar wins the governorship in November and resigns from the Senate, her departure would create a vacancy in Minnesota’s congressional delegation.

Klobuchar will now attempt to keep the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands in November in a state that has not had a Republican governor since former Gov. Tim Pawlenty left office in January 2011.