Amy Klobuchar wins Minnesota gubernatorial election, set to become state’s first woman governor

Amy Klobuchar, the U.S. senator who gave up her seat after Gov. Tim Walz’s surprise campaign suspension, is projected to keep Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) control over the governor’s residence.

The Associated Press called the race for Klobuchar on Wednesday at 12:07 a.m. EST. As of 1:00 a.m. EST, Klobuchar led over Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth by a count of 56.1% to 42.0%.

Klobuchar ran on a platform at combatting fraud, repeatedly criticizing Walz over the fraud scandals that ended his campaign. She also told Minnesotans in her victory speech that “you may not like every single thing that I do,” indicating that she may be more moderate than the DFL has been in the past.

Demuth survived a contentious primary in August, where she won despite not winning the state Republican Party’s endorsement. was a major part in the controversy last year where Minnesota Republicans attempted to take full control of the state House for two years over a temporary majority that lasted less than a month. In the resulting power sharing agreement, Demuth became House speaker, where she stonewalled the DFL’s gun safety bill package after the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting.