Live results for Minnesota governor race
Minnesotans are heading to the polls Tuesday to choose a new governor in a historic open-seat race that will make a woman the state's chief executive for the first time and could also produce Minnesota's first Black governor.[1]
Voting continues across the state, with FOX 9 set to begin publishing live, precinct-level results after polls close at 8 p.m., drawing on Associated Press returns and the station's earlier reporting and candidate coverage.[1]
The race was thrown open when Democratic Gov. Tim Walz decided not to seek a third term, clearing the way for one of the most high-profile governor's contests on this year's ballot and ending an era that saw Democrats hold the office since 2011.
Democrat Amy Klobuchar, a four-term U.S. senator and former Hennepin County prosecutor, tops her party's ticket and is running with Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer as her candidate for lieutenant governor, leveraging her statewide name recognition from years in the Senate and a 2020 presidential bid.
Republican Lisa Demuth, the Minnesota House speaker and former minority leader, leads the GOP ticket with attorney and previous state auditor candidate Ryan Wilson as her running mate, presenting herself as a conservative alternative focused on changing course from Democratic control at the Capitol.
Whoever wins will become Minnesota's first woman governor, and if voters elevate Demuth, she would also be the state's first Black governor, a milestone that has added attention and national interest to a race already shaped by debates over the economy, public safety, schools, and the future direction of a politically divided state.
As election night unfolds, the campaigns, national parties, and voters will be watching how quickly results come in from the Twin Cities metro, key suburbs, and outstate regions that have swung between the parties in recent cycles, with control of the governor's office set to guide Minnesota's budget, abortion policy, and responses to federal initiatives over the next four years.
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📌 Key Facts
- The 2026 Minnesota governor’s race is an open seat because Gov. Tim Walz declined to run for a third term.
- Democrat Amy Klobuchar, a four-term U.S. senator and former Hennepin County prosecutor, is running with Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer for lieutenant governor.
- Republican Lisa Demuth, the Minnesota House speaker and former minority leader, is running with attorney and ex–state auditor candidate Ryan Wilson.
- Minnesota will elect its first woman governor in this race; if Lisa Demuth wins, she would also be the state’s first Black governor.
- FOX 9 is providing live results after 8 p.m., using Associated Press data, combined with prior reporting and campaign material.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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