The 2022 Minnesota gubernatorial election will take place on November 8, 2022, to elect the

governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...

. Incumbent Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) Governor

Tim Walz Timothy James Walz ( ; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician and retired educator. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019. Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz ...

has announced he will seek a second term in office. Minnesota's primary elections will be held on August 9, 2022.

Democratic–Farmer–Labor primary

Candidates

Declared

*Ole Savior, perennial candidate **Julia M. Parker *

, incumbent Governor and former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for

Minnesota's 1st congressional district Minnesota's 1st congressional district extends across southern Minnesota from the border with South Dakota to the border with Wisconsin. It is a primarily rural district built on a strong history of agriculture, though this is changing rapidly d ...

(2007–2019) ** Peggy Flanagan, incumbent Lieutenant Governor

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

*Bob "Again" Carney Jr, candidate for U.S. Senate in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

**Captain Jack Sparrow, perennial candidate *Joyce Lynne Lacey, community activist **Kent Edwards * Scott Jensen, family medicine physician and former

state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Matt Birk Matthew Robert Birk (born July 23, 1976) is a former American football center who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He spent most of his professional career playing for the Minnesota Vikings. He was the Republican nom ...

, former professional football player with the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

, businessman, and author

Withdrawn

Michelle Benson Michelle R. Benson (born September 11, 1968) is an American accountant, politician, and Republican member of the Minnesota Senate. She represents District 31, which includes portions of Anoka, Isanti and Sherburne counties in the northern T ...

, state senator *Thomas Evensted, activist *

Paul Gazelka Paul E. Gazelka ( ; born October 1, 1959) is an American politician and small business owner from Minnesota. A Republican, Gazelka was a member of the Minnesota Senate and was previously a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. In the s ...

, state senator and former

majority leader In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.

of the Minnesota Senate (following loss at convention) **

Mary Giuliani Stephens Mary Giuliani Stephens (born June 23, 1955) is an American attorney at law, attorney and the former mayor of Woodbury, Minnesota. She previously served on the Woodbury City Council. Early life, education, and career Giuliani Stephens grew up in ...

, attorney, former mayor of

Woodbury Woodbury may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory Australia * Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia England * Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset *Woodbury, East Devo ...

and candidate for governor in

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

*Mike Marti, businessman *Mike Murphy, mayor of Lexington (following loss at convention) *Kendall Qualls, Army Veteran, Businessman and Republican nominee for

Minnesota's 3rd congressional district Minnesota's 3rd congressional district encompasses the suburbs of Hennepin, Carver, and Anoka counties to the west, south, and north of Minneapolis. The district, which is mostly suburban in character, includes a few farming communities on ...

(following loss at convention) *Neil Shah, physician and business owner (following loss at convention) *

Rich Stanek Richard W. "Rich" Stanek (born February 2, 1962) is an American politician and former law enforcement officer who served as the sheriff of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office from 2007 to 2019. Prior to serving as sheriff, Stanek served from 19 ...

, former Hennepin County Sheriff

Declined

, former

player ''(endorsed Scott Jensen and agreed to be his running mate)'' * Mike Lindell, inventor of

My Pillow My Pillow, Inc. (stylized as MyPillow) is an American pillow-manufacturing company based in Chaska, Minnesota.Michael J Lindell"MyPillow HQ moves to Chaska,"Chaska Herald', June 16, 2015. The company was founded in 2009 by Mike Lindell, who inv ...

, businessman * Carla Nelson, state senator''(running for re-election for State Senate seat) *

Pete Stauber Peter Allen Stauber (born May 10, 1966) is an American politician, former professional hockey player, and retired law enforcement officer from Minnesota serving as the United States representative for Minnesota's 8th congressional district. A mem ...

, U.S. Representative for

Minnesota's 8th congressional district Minnesota's 8th congressional district covers the northeastern part of Minnesota. It is anchored by Duluth, the state's fourth-largest city. It also includes most of the Mesabi & Vermilion iron ranges, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in th ...

''(running for re-election)'' *

Karin Housley Karin Housley ( ; née Locke; born January 20, 1964) is an American politician, businesswoman, and member of the Minnesota Senate. A Republican, she represents Forest Lake, Stillwater, and the surrounding St. Croix Valley. Housley was the Repu ...

, state senator and nominee for the U.S. Senate in

''(running for re-election)'' *

Jennifer Carnahan Jennifer Carnahan (born 1976) is an American politician who served as the chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota from 2017 to 2021. On March 14, 2022, she declared her candidacy for a special election in Minnesota's 1st congressional distric ...

, former chair of the

Minnesota Republican Party The Republican Party of Minnesota is the oldest active political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Republican Party’s platform is relatively moderate. The party’s main issues are economic growth, education, healthcare, civi ...

(2017–2021) and widow of U.S. Representative

Jim Hagedorn James Lee Hagedorn ( ; August 4, 1962 – February 17, 2022) was an American politician from Minnesota. A Republican, he was the U.S. Representative for from 2019 until his death. The district stretches across southern Minnesota along the border ...

''(Running for Congress in the 2022 Special Election)'' *Rob Barrett, businessman, activist and candidate for the U.S. Senate in

Caucuses and conventions

Caucus

The

caucus A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures. The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to a meeting ...

es took place on February 1, 2022, statewide. A caucus is a local meeting where all who intend to vote for the Republican Party are able to select their

precinct Precinct may refer to: * An electoral precinct * A police precinct * A religious precinct * A shopping precinct or shopping mall ** A Pedestrian zone Places * A neighborhood, in Australia * A unit of public housing in Singapore * A former elect ...

leadership, participate in a

straw poll A straw poll, straw vote, or straw ballot is an ad hoc or unofficial vote. It is used to show the popular opinion on a certain matter, and can be used to help politicians know the majority opinion and help them decide what to say in order to gain ...

for Governor, write and pass resolutions, and elect delegates to their local Basic Political Organizational Unit (BPOU). Those who were not elected as BPOU delegates could become alternates and fill in for delegates who cannot attend the BPOU convention.

BPOU conventions

A BPOU has boundaries that are based on the

County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

or State Senate District an individual resides in. The majority of these took place in March 2022. Elected delegates of each BPOU attended a convention relating to their district to vote on the resolutions passed at the caucus, complete party business, listen to candidates, and elect delegates for the State Convention and their corresponding U.S. House District convention.

State convention

The Republican State Convention was held on May 13–14, 2022 in Rochester. 2,200 delegates were elected statewide to decide the

endorsement Endorsement (alternatively spelled "indorsement") may refer to a: * testimonial, a written or spoken statement promoting or advertising a product * political endorsement, publicly declaring support for a candidate * form added to an insurance po ...

of the Minnesota Republican Party all statewide offices. The endorsed candidate receives the backing of the Minnesota Republican Party, including money and resources, ahead of the August 9 primary. Only one Republican, incumbent Governor Arne Carlson in 1994, has won the primary without the party convention endorsement. (Two Democrats, Mark Dayton and

, won the Democratic primary against endorsed candidates.) At the convention, Scott Jensen won the endorsement with 65 percent of the vote on the ninth ballot, defeating Kendall Qualls. Mike Murphy,

, and Neil Shah were all eliminated on earlier ballots. All of the candidates who contested the endorsement pledged to forego the primary if not endorsed. Qualls soon honored his pledge by announcing his plans to "return to private life."

, the only major candidate who did not compete for the endorsement, did not file for the primary, leaving Jensen without major opposition. He faces two minor candidates in the August primary.

Endorsements

Independents and others

Candidates

Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis primary

*Steve Patterson, anti-lockdown activist ( Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis) **Matt Huff *Darrell Paulsen, business consultant ( Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis) **Edwin Engelmann, nominee for lieutenant governor in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

Legal Marijuana Now primary

* James McCaskel, community organizer and BLM activist (

Legal Marijuana Now The Legal Marijuana Now Party is a political Third party (United States), third party in the United States. The party’s platform includes abolishing the Drug Enforcement Administration and legalizing hemp and cannabis (drug), marijuana. As of ...

) **David Sandbeck, activist and candidate for

Minnesota's 4th congressional district Minnesota's 4th congressional district covers nearly all of Ramsey County, and part of Washington County. It includes all of St. Paul, and most of its suburbs. The district is solidly Democratic, with a CPVI of D+14. It is currently repres ...

*Chris Wright, perennial candidate (

) **L.C. Lawrence Converse

Other parties

*Gabrielle M. Prosser, restaurant worker ( Socialist Workers) **Kevin A. Dwire, perennial candidate * Hugh McTavish, scientist, entrepreneur and author ( Independence-Alliance Party) **Mike Winter, commercial driver, podcast host, Teamster Union steward and candidate for mayor of Minneapolis in

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

Withdrew

*Cory Hepola, former WCCO Radio host ( Forward Party) **Tamara Uselman, school administrator *Brandon Millholland-Corcoran

Declined

Tom Bakk Thomas M. Bakk ( ; born June 8, 1954) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. Currently independent and a former member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, Bakk represents District 3, which includes portions ...

, state senator and DFL candidate for governor in

*Christopher Chamberlin, candidate for Governor, Senate, and House in 2018 * Richard Painter, University of Minnesota Law School professor, former chief White House ethics lawyer, and DFL candidate for U.S. Senate in

''(running for

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

)''

Endorsements

General election

Predictions

Polling

;Aggregate polls ;Graphical summary ;Tim Walz vs. Michelle Benson ;Tim Walz vs. Paul Gazelka ;Tim Walz vs. Mike Marti ;Tim Walz vs. Mike Murphy ;Tim Walz vs. Kendall Qualls ;Tim Walz vs. Neil Shah ;Tim Walz vs. Rich Stanek ;Tim Walz vs. generic Republican

Results

Notes

References

External links

;Official campaign websites
Scott Jensen (R) for Governor

James McCaskel (I) for Governor

Brandon Millholland-Corcoran (I) for Governor

Tim Walz (D) for Governor

Cory Hepola (F) for Governor
{{DEFAULTSORT:2022 Minnesota gubernatorial election

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

Gubernatorial A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...

Democratic–Farmer–Labor primary

Candidates

Declared

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Withdrawn

Declined

Caucuses and conventions

Caucus

BPOU conventions

State convention

Endorsements

Independents and others

Candidates

Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis primary

Legal Marijuana Now primary

Other parties

Withdrew

Declined

Endorsements

General election

Predictions

Polling

Results

See also

Notes

References

External links