Overview
- The four-term U.S. senator launched her bid on Jan. 29 with a video pledging to “stand up for what’s right” and calling for ICE and what she described as abusive tactics to leave Minnesota.
- She highlighted the state’s recent turmoil, citing the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents and the large federal deployments that have driven protests in the Twin Cities.
- Klobuchar vowed to crack down on fraud in state programs, a central issue after multi-year probes tied to child care, Medicaid and related schemes that prosecutors say could total from over $1 billion up to as high as $9 billion.
- Democrats have coalesced around Klobuchar as top figures passed on the race, while Republicans face a crowded primary featuring Mike Lindell, Lisa Demuth, Scott Jensen and Kristin Robbins, with one GOP hopeful exiting after the recent shootings and Trump endorsing Lindell.
- If she wins, Minnesota law would let the governor appoint an interim U.S. senator until a special election fills the seat for the remainder of her term.