Amy Klobuchar has been elected governor of Minnesota, becoming the first woman to hold the office after defeating Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth by a clear margin.
Official results from Minnesota’s Secretary of State showed Klobuchar and running mate Ben Schierer winning 55.46% of the vote, compared with 42.63% for Demuth and Ryan Wilson. All 87 counties and 4,105 precincts had reported by Wednesday afternoon.
The result marked the first open Minnesota governor’s race since 2018, after incumbent Tim Walz decided not to seek a third term. Klobuchar, a Democratic US senator, will now take over the state’s top job after two decades in the Senate.
Minnesota governor results by county
Klobuchar’s support was strongest in the state’s most populous counties, including Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, St Louis and Olmsted. Demuth carried a large number of smaller and rural counties, among them Aitkin, Crow Wing, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns and Wright.
The county map reflected a familiar political divide in Minnesota, with the Democratic ticket leading across the biggest urban centres while the Republican ticket performed better across much of rural and greater Minnesota.
The Associated Press reported that the contest was shaped in part by a fraud scandal involving state-run social services programmes. Klobuchar campaigned on auditing state government and introducing technology to detect and prevent fraud.
Her victory margin of almost 13 percentage points was the largest in a Minnesota governor’s race since 1994, according to an analysis by Axios.
Speaking to supporters in St Paul after the result, Klobuchar said: “I am not interested in moving Minnesota to the left or the right, I want to move us forward.”
She has also pledged to reduce healthcare premiums and prescription costs, work with the private sector to build 100,000 homes and improve educational outcomes while reducing screen time in classrooms.
Klobuchar additionally promised to pursue new gun-safety legislation, saying she would sign a bill if it reached her desk. She referred to Harper Moyski, a 10-year-old girl killed in the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and school, whose birthday fell on election day.
The Democratic victory also returned the party to full control of Minnesota’s state government, after it regained majorities in both chambers of the legislature in the same election.
