Governor & Lt Governor
Minnesota
My vote power
Normal
Election date
August 11, 2026 · Primary election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: Normal · 50 out of 100
This district covers a large share of its state, so each vote carries about average weight — like a vote in a statewide race. About 5,739,445 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(5,739,445 ÷ 5,739,445) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50, measured against a statewide vote in MN (grades: 66+ high, 33+ normal, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
Normal representation → My vote power: Normal.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information.
About this office
- Signing or vetoing bills that become state law
- Proposing the state budget for schools, roads, and health care
- Picking who leads state agencies
Affects: AI Regulation, Healthcare Affordability, Environment and Public Health,
Candidates
Democratic-Farmer-Labor · declared
Amy Klobuchar has represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate since 2007 and currently serves as ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. She previously led the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for eight years and practiced law in Minnesota.
Records: Healthcare Affordability 3 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 3 for, Civil Rights 2 for,
Democratic-Farmer-Labor · declared
Bill E. Gates Jr. is a licensed ordained minister who moved to Minnesota in 2023 for an airline-industry job. Born in Wichita, Kansas, and raised in the Arkansas River Valley, he studied hospitality management at the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College.
Records: Gun Control 1 against, Personal Income Tax Reduction 1 for
Republican · declared
John Krhin is a northern Minnesota pastor and business-property owner. Born in Chisholm and now living north of Hibbing, he says he has served as an ordained minister since 1981.
Records: Anti-Corruption 1 for, Government Spending Reduction 1 for, Women's Reproductive Rights 1 against
Republican · declared
Kendall Qualls is a former U.S. Army officer and retired healthcare executive who founded and leads the nonprofit TakeCharge. He previously ran for Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District in 2020 and for governor in 2022.
Records: Civil Rights 1 against
Democratic-Farmer-Labor · declared
Kobey J Layne is a former Minnesota Senate legislative assistant who worked with the Senate Human Services Reform Committee. She grew up in Walker, studied politics and policy at Hamline University, and earned a master's degree in public policy.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for
Republican · declared
Lisa Demuth is speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives and represents District 13A. A business owner, she was first elected to the House in 2018, became House Republican leader in 2022, and was elected speaker in February 2025 after previously serving 11 years on the ROCORI School Board.
Records: Anti-Corruption 5 for, Environment and Public Health 1 for, 3 against, Government Spending Reduction 4 for,
Republican · declared
Loner Blue is a retired Brooklyn Center resident who was born Scott Glenn Kendall. He was a write-in candidate for Minnesota governor in 2022 and received 2,727 votes in the 2024 Republican primary for U.S. Senate.
Republican · declared
Mike Lindell is a Minnesota businessman, political activist, and the founder and chief executive of MyPillow. Born in Mankato and raised in Chaska and Carver, he has also founded a faith-based addiction-recovery network.
Records: Corporate Accountability 3 against
Democratic-Farmer-Labor · declared
Mohammad Wazwaz is a Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate for Minnesota governor running with lieutenant-governor candidate Murad Alshlool in the 2026 state primary.
Democratic-Farmer-Labor · declared
Ole Savior, born Oloveuse Savior, is a Minneapolis artist and writer who has repeatedly sought Minnesota state and federal offices since 1984. His previous campaigns include multiple Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Republican primaries for governor and U.S. Senate.
Records: Anti-Corruption 1 for, Civil Rights 1 for, Labor Rights 1 for,
Democratic-Farmer-Labor · declared
Po Vang is a Saint Paul native and Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate for Minnesota governor. He has described living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a hereditary neurological condition, as central to his interest in healthcare and public health.
Records: Gun Control 1 against
Republican · declared
Raul J Estrada is a Twin Cities construction worker, Native American elder, and longtime community activist. He says he founded the American Indian Coalition and has worked with disadvantaged communities and families involved in the family-court system.
Republican · declared
Ross Nova is a Bulgarian-born U.S. Army veteran and naturalized American citizen. Adopted to North Dakota as a child, he later worked in restaurants, helped open businesses, and drove trucks across Minnesota.
Green · declared
Steven Young is a former attorney and neighborhood grocery-store owner who currently volunteers on the Minneapolis Food Council. He served 12 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry unit leader, coached high-school lacrosse, and has volunteered with community, church, scouting, and peace organizations.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for
Democratic-Farmer-Labor · declared
Thomas Evenstad is a St. Paul criminal-justice advocate whose public activity focuses on wrongful-conviction claims and government accountability.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Environment and Public Health 1 for, Gun Control 1 against
Sources: candidates.sos.mn.gov · sos.mn.gov