2026 Governor's Races: Minnesota and Hawaii Hold Primaries and Candidate Forums

Minnesota held a primary election in which voter turnout surpassed one million votes for the first time in the state's primary history. The results set up a general election matchup between Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) candidate, and House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican, marking the first all-woman major-party race for governor in Minnesota history. In a separate race, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, is seeking a second and final term and faced three other Democratic candidates in that state's August 8 primary election, with two Republican candidates and four nonpartisan candidates also on the ballot. Ahead of Minnesota's primary, gubernatorial candidates appeared at Farmfest on August 5, 2026, where they answered questions on farming regulations, rural healthcare costs, and fraud in state programs. Participants included Klobuchar, the presumptive DFL nominee, alongside Republican candidates Kendall Qualls, Lisa Demuth, and Mike Lindell, who had received an endorsement from President Trump. In Hawaii, gubernatorial candidates participated in Q&A sessions addressing topics including liquefied natural gas (LNG) policy, housing, and government accountability ahead of the state's primary. Minnesota's general election will proceed with Klobuchar and Demuth as the major-party nominees following the primary. Hawaii's primary outcome, including whether Gov. Green advanced to the general election past his three Democratic primary challengers, is not confirmed in the available reporting. Details on the final vote counts and margins in both states' primaries remain unreported in the supplied material.