Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 65, formally entered the race for Minnesota governor on Thursday. “Minnesota, we’ve been through a lot,” Klobuchar said at the start of a video announcing her run, recounting recent tragedies that have rocked the state, including the targeted killing of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent, and the Saturday death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents—as well as the deployment of thousands of ICE agents that has sparked protests across Minnesota. “These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this administration,” said the senator and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, whose decision to run for governor follows Gov. Tim Walz’s announcement that he would not seek re-election. Klobuchar—who has represented Minnesota in the Senate for nearly two decades—enters the race with strong odds, backed by high favorability among Minnesota voters and the fact that Republicans have not won a statewide office in Minnesota since 2006. On the Republican side, nearly a dozen candidates are competing in the August primaries for the Nov. 3 ballot including MyPillow founder and recovering crack addict Mike Lindell. “I’m asking Democrats, Independents, and Republicans to join our campaign,” Klobuchar said.
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