Governor & Lt Governor
August 11, 2026 · Minnesota · Statewide · primary
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Average · 45 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 5,739,445 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(39,287,377 ÷ 5,739,445) ÷ ln(39,287,377 ÷ 582,397) = 45.67, comparing all statewide districts nationwide (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Average representation + unknown decisiveness → Average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
Governor is responsible for:
- Running the state government and its agencies
- Proposing the state budget
- Signing state bills into law, or vetoing them
- Appointing state officials and, in many states, judges
- Commanding the state National Guard during emergencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Amy Klobuchar
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: Civil Rights 1 for, Corporate Accountability 1 for, Data Privacy 1 for, Environment and Public Health 1 for, Government Efficiency 1 for, Government Spending Reduction 1 for, Healthcare Affordability 3 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 3 for, Women's Reproductive Rights 1 for
Bill E Gates J.R.
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
John Krhin
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, Data Privacy 1 for, Government Spending Reduction 1 for, Women's Reproductive Rights 1 against
Kendall Qualls
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 for, 1 against, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 for
Kobey J Layne
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
Lisa Demuth
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, 1 against, Government Efficiency 4 for, Government Spending Reduction 4 for, Personal Income Tax Reduction 2 for, Public Education Quality 2 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 4 for, Social Programs and Welfare 1 against
Loner Blue
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.
Mike Lindell
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: Anti-Corruption 1 for, Corporate Accountability 6 against, Data Privacy 1 for
Mohammad Wazwaz
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.
Ole "Viking" Savior
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, Healthcare Affordability 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 against, Reduce Wealth Gap 1 for, Social Programs and Welfare 1 for
Po Vang
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
Raul J Estrada
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.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for
Ross Nova
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.
Steven Young
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
Thomas Evenstad
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: Gun Control 1 against, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 against
Election sources
Source: candidates.sos.mn.gov
Source: sos.mn.gov