Minnesota Gubernatorial Race 2026

Minnesota Midterm Elections Favor Democrats

In the state of Minnesota, in the upcoming Midterm Elections of 2026, Senator Amy Klobuchar is running for Governor to succeed fellow Democrat Tim Walz, and should have an easy time, with her likely Republican opponent to be selected on Primary Day being MY PILLOW guy Mike Lindell, endorsed by Donald Trump, and who is a conspiracy theorist, and still contends that Donald Trump won the Presidential Election of 2020 over Joe Biden.

Lindell has been sued and has lost lawsuits which required him to pay massive financial damages, and he comes across as a lunatic in many people’s views, so Klobuchar, who has had a distinguished 20 year career in the US Senate, and contended for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2020, should have an easy ride.

Senator Tina Smith is retiring after serving 8 years in the upper chamber, and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who is Native American, and has a progressive image, is endorsed by many Senate Democrats, but has an opponent in centrist moderate Congresswoman Angie Craig, an open lesbian, who has other significant members of Congress backing her, and with her having an advantage in fundraising.

At this point, it is hard to figure out which of these two women will win the nomination, but whoever wins, she will have a clear advantage as there is no outstanding Republican nominee that is shown to be ahead in polls, in a state which strongly leans Democratic.

However, the likely nominee is Royce White, with a former limited career as a basketball player, mostly in Canada, and nominee for the Senate against Amy Klobuchar in 2024.

His opponent in the Republican Senate primary is Michele Tafoya as a journalist and sports broadcaster for ABC, NBC, CBS and ESPN, covering the National Football League, the Olympics, and professional basketball.

Four Midwest Governorship Elections 2026: Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio

There will be four Midwest Governorships up for election this fall of 2026.

Three of these states—Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota—have Democratic Governors, while Ohio has a Republican Governor.

In Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term limited, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is favored to be the party nominee, with her likely Republican opponent being African American Congressman John James, who has lost two US Senate races in the past.

However, three term Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, elected as an Independent, is a “wild card” in the race, and could win the Governorship.

In Wisconsin, Governor Tony Evers has decided not to seek reelection, creating a race where former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, who is African American, is the favored Democratic nominee against Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany.

In Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in 2024, belatedly decided not to seek reelection to a third term, and while the situation is fluid, it seems likely that Senator Amy Klobuchar will decide to run for Governor, with her Senate seat safe until 2030, were she to lose the Governorship.

Businessman Mike Lindell of MY PILLOW corporation, who has a reputation of being a lunatic, and continues to claim that Donald Trump won the Presidential Election in 2020, is perceived as the frontrunner for the Republicans, although Scott Jensen, who was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2022, is considered to be planning to run again.

Finally, in Ohio, Republican Governor Mike DeWine is term limited, and the clearcut favorite for the party is tech businessman and 2024 Presidential contender Vivik Ramaswamy, who gained an arrogant, confrontational image, but now is trying to tone it down.

His Democratic opponent will be Physician and former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, who took a strong stand for vaccinations during the COVID 19 Pandemic, causing many critics to arise who condemned her approach to the once in a century health crisis.

At this point, it would seem that Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are likely to remain Democratic in gubernatorial races, while Ohio, which has become more extreme right wing in recent elections, sadly, is likely to elect Republican Ramaswamy, who would immediately become a major nightmare figure in American politics!