Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar each focused on guilt by association during their final gubernatorial debate Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Repeating a theme on display up and down the ballot this year, Demuth argued that Klobuchar is aligned with Gov. Tim Walz and would govern similarly, while Klobuchar argued that Demuth would not stand up to President Donald Trump to do what’s best for Minnesota.
Wednesday’s debate, which was televised statewide and co-hosted by FOX 9 and Gray Media, was the second this week between the two candidates for governor and their final face-to-face meeting before the Nov. 3 election.
Here are some takeaways from Wednesday’s debate:
Gloves off
Demuth repeatedly argued Klobuchar is no different from Walz, an unpopular governor who oversaw state government when fraudsters grabbed a foothold in Minnesota’s social safety net programs. Klobuchar has long stated that when she first learned of the fraud, she worked to hire more prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which then went on to prosecute fraudsters.
“Even if she made a phone call on fraud, where was she? There was no press release. There was nothing to say that she was protecting our federal taxpayer dollars,” Demuth said. “She was silent on fraud until Tim Walz asked her to run for governor here in the state of Minnesota.”
Klobuchar called the attack “absurd” and threw Walz overboard, as she did in their first debate.
“How do I differ (from) Tim Walz? You have not come up with one way you differ from Donald Trump,” Klobuchar told Demuth. “I have been clear. I wouldn’t have pardoned the sex offender. I would have put more of the surplus money into infrastructure and technology. And yes, I would have caught the fraud earlier.”
Klobuchar threw out attacks more frequently than Demuth, noting that the House speaker lacks comprehensive governing plans on housing and child care and authored an anti-abortion bill in the Legislature that would criminally punish doctors. She also said Demuth’s campaign is being bolstered by millions from Wisconsin billionaires and frequent Trump donors, Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. (Klobuchar is being helped by wealthy DFL donors, including Rockefeller heiress Alida Messinger.)
What’s driving up costs?
Demuth argued costs have exploded in Minnesota due to regulations and tax increases passed by Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers in recent year. She said that housing is more expensive because of stricter building regulations than other states; childcare is more expensive and there are fewer providers because fraudsters have infiltrated the industry; and gas prices are rising because Democrats increased the gas tax, while Klobuchar voted against extending the Keystone XL pipeline to increase fuel supply to Minnesota.
“You have to ask yourself, why are things so expensive here in Minnesota? They were expensive because of overspending by one-party control in 2023 and 2024,” Demuth said. “I will bring down prices. I will right-size our state budget and make sure that you can afford your lives.”
(Minnesota has the 18th lowest cost of living in the nation, according to SoFi.)
Klobuchar argued that Trump and his administration are largely to blame for rising prices, noting that the war in Iran caused an immediate jump in fuel prices; millions have been kicked off of their health insurance because of the president’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act; and Trump’s tariffs are increasing the price of goods.
“I can tell you the fastest way to bring down your gas prices, and that is to stop this war in Iran. That is it, beginning, middle, and end,” Klobuchar said.
“And when you look at what my opponent brings up … she actually brought up and blamed it on the Keystone Pipeline. Then she blamed the health care costs on Barack Obama. I don’t know what will be next. Maybe Thomas Jefferson. But what I know is that Minnesotans understand what’s happened at the pump.”
Both worked to distance themselves from unpopular men
Demuth noted a number of ways she disagreed with Trump.
“As far as the war in Iran, I’ve been very clear about talking about that it needs to come to an end soon. I have also separated when it comes to bringing foreign beef and some of the other tariffs,” Demuth said. “What we have not yet heard is from Sen. Klobuchar, where she differs on a policy or a bill that Gov. Walz has put into place. She still calls him an incredible governor.”
Klobuchar responded that Demuth did not speak out against the war in Iran until last month and she praised then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during Operation Metro Surge.
“We need someone who’s willing to work with people, but also stand up when he does some really bad stuff,” Klobuchar said.
Demuth repeatedly said that Klobuchar would not name one policy with which she disagreed with Walz.
“I would love to hear if she has separated herself specifically from Tim Walz. Tim Walz allowed the childcare fraud and other fraud here in the state of Minnesota to explode to $9 billion, never firing any of his commissioners or agency employees, but yet you have someone standing here tonight that is supporting everything from the incredible governor, as she has said he is,” Demuth said.
Klobuchar, appearing exasperated, told viewers to “rewind the tape on this debate, please, and you will see exactly how I said I differed from Tim Walz.”
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