Overview
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to form a gubernatorial campaign committee, and a formal announcement is expected in the coming days, according to people close to her.
- Her step follows Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to forgo a third term as he focuses on a widening welfare-fraud probe and related federal pressure, with Walz expected to serve out his term.
- Minnesota’s political climate has been roiled by frozen federal social-service funds, Justice Department subpoenas to state and local leaders, large protests after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, and a surge of federal immigration agents into the state.
- Klobuchar, a four-term senator and former Hennepin County attorney with a record of double-digit statewide wins, is widely viewed by party strategists as likely to consolidate Democratic support ahead of DFL precinct caucuses starting Feb. 3.
- If she wins the governorship in November 2026, Klobuchar would resign her U.S. Senate seat and a temporary replacement would be appointed by the governor under state law.