Minnesota Primary Sets Klobuchar-Demuth Governor Race, Tafoya-Flanagan Senate Matchup

Minnesota voters went to the polls on August 11, 2026, for a statewide primary that set the field for the November general election, including races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and the state Legislature. The governor's race was open because Gov. Tim Walz did not seek a third term, while the Senate primary filled the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tina Smith. Minnesota does not have party registration, allowing voters to choose either party's ballot but not both. Sen. Amy Klobuchar won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) nomination for governor with no serious challengers, while House Speaker Lisa Demuth won a competitive Republican primary that also included Kendall Qualls and Trump-endorsed commentator Mike Lindell, who lost. This sets up a general election matchup between two women for the first time in state history. In the Senate race, Republican Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter, and DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won their respective primaries to compete for Smith's seat. Competitive primaries also took place for seats in the state Legislature. The November general election will feature Klobuchar versus Demuth for governor and Tafoya versus Flanagan for the open Senate seat. Detailed vote totals and margins from the primary were not specified across the available reporting. Separate primary activity in California, including an all-party primary for governor, was reported around the same period but is unrelated to the Minnesota results.