U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar filed paperwork for her campaign for Minnesota governor Thursday, weeks after Gov. Tim Walz ended his campaign for a third-term amid a widening scandal of fraud in state-run social service programs.
“This is a preliminary step necessary for any candidate considering a run,” according to a person close to the senator who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “The senator will make an announcement of her plans in the coming days.”
Klobuchar, 65, is a proven vote-getter, having been reelected three times since first winning her seat in 2006. In 2012, she won all but two of the state’s 87 counties — a stunning victory in a purplish state where conservative rural counties far outnumber the more populated metropolitan area ones. Her margin of victory has narrowed over time, perhaps reflecting political changes in Minnesota and nationwide.
In recent weeks, Klobuchar has been an opponent of the recent federal immigration surge in Minnesota, calling for a federal investigation into the killing of Renee Good by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross and calling ICE’s arrest of children “disgraceful.”
“How can anyone justify this anymore?” Klobuchar posted on X.
Klobuchar is a relentless campaigner — visiting every Minnesota county every year — and focuses on broadly popular, often bipartisan legislation like funding rural broadband infrastructure, banning lead in children’s products and expanding services for victims of human trafficking.
Klobuchar’s candidacy has relieved some Democratic donors and operatives anxious that the fraud scandal that tanked Walz’s reelection campaign would cost them control of state government.
In 2020, Klobuchar ran for president, pitching herself as a moderate Democrat, announcing her candidacy in the middle of a snowstorm. National scrutiny led to reports that she is a formidable boss, including an allegation that she hurled office supplies in frustration.
Prior to Super Tuesday, Klobuchar suspended her presidential campaign and endorsed Joe Biden.
A slew of Republicans have entered the race for governor, including House Speaker Lisa Demuth, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, former congressional candidate Kendall Qualls and attorney Chris Madel.
Reformer reporter Max Nesterak contributed to this story.
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