Klobuchar and Demuth Advance in Minnesota; Masterson Wins Kansas GOP Primary for Governor

On August 11, 2026, Minnesota held primaries for governor and U.S. Senate. Sen. Amy Klobuchar won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party gubernatorial nomination with about 89% of the vote, becoming the first woman to lead a major party's ticket for Minnesota governor. She will face Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who won the GOP primary with about 45%, defeating Trump-endorsed Mike Lindell (31%) and Kendall Qualls (21%), setting up a historic all-woman general election. In the concurrent U.S. Senate primary, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig with about 59% of the vote. Gov. Tim Walz, who is not seeking reelection after eight years in office, has faced scrutiny over allegations of fraud in state-funded day care and social aid programs, with some reports citing losses of about $9 billion. In Kansas, Senate President Ty Masterson won the Republican gubernatorial primary on August 4, 2026, defeating six other candidates in a crowded field while backed by President Donald Trump's endorsement. Masterson, a more than 20-year veteran of the Kansas Legislature, will face Democrat Cindy Holscher, who won her party's nomination despite Gov. Laura Kelly's endorsement of a different candidate. Kelly, a Democrat, is term-limited and not running for reelection. Kansas voters also rejected a constitutional amendment on the process for electing state Supreme Court justices. In a separate Kansas race, incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall will face Democrat Adam Hamilton, a United Methodist pastor, in November. Both Minnesota and Kansas general elections are scheduled for November 2026. In Minnesota, the fraud allegations tied to Walz's administration remain under scrutiny, and the precise scope and findings of that investigation are not fully detailed in current reporting. In Kansas, a dispute exists among Republicans over congressional redistricting: candidate Philip Sarnecki criticized legislative leaders, including Masterson, for inaction on redrawing the state's four U.S. House districts, despite earlier statements from Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins that redistricting would be a 2026 legislative priority; whether such action will occur before the general election remains unresolved.