
Photo Credit: Minnesota Governor's Residence / Photo Gallery
(MINNEAPOLIS, MN.) -- It’s still almost five months away from the primary election for the 2026 Minnesota Governor, and the list of candidates has already narrowed significantly, with Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar as the sole candidate from the DFL.
Important issues for candidates in this election continue to be government fraud and oversight (likely prompted by allegations against Tim Walz’s administration), managing the state budget (which currently exceeds $33 billion), and public safety.
Once the primary is over, the group will be narrowed down to one DFL, GOP, and Independent (if applicable) ticket. The table below shows a few quick stats on each candidate, including background, party affiliation, funds raised, and their strengths and weaknesses.

*All figures and information as of Mar. 26
Regarding potential Lieutenant Governor candidates, only one Mayoral candidate, Kendall Qualls, has announced his running mate. Qualls, who is running as a GOP candidate, openly paired up with Brian Nicholson, a prominent Minnesota businessman. There is also only one candidate running in the Republican Primary for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, Ryan Wilson. Wilson is not yet attached to a specific candidate.
It isn’t abnormal for gubernatorial candidates to wait to announce their running mates, or for a candidate to run as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor for a specific political party without having a candidate backing them. Most candidates don’t announce their pick until closer to, or after, the primary on Aug. 11.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at kristin.h@lead4earth.org and leave a comment below.
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