A look at who might run for Minnesota governor in 2026 — and who’s ruled it out

The 2026 campaign for Minnesota governor will start to take shape over the next several months as Gov. Tim Walz weighs seeking a third term and several Republicans consider challenging him.

Walz has said he will make his decision on a historic third consecutive term by this summer, after the 2025 legislative session. The DFL governor raised his national profile while running for vice president last year and has more than $1 million in campaign funds, which could give him an early advantage.

Several Republicans, including Walz’s 2022 opponent, are considering campaigns for the governor’s mansion. Meanwhile, two prominent Minnesota Republicans in Congress have ruled out a run.

Here’s an early look at the possible gubernatorial field, and who’s ruled it out.

Most Minnesota governors haven’t sought a third consecutive term, even though the state doesn’t impose term limits on its chief executive. Walz argues that life in the state has improved under his tenure, and his team has touted that his approval rating held strong even after his failed vice-presidential campaign.

“I think right now we’ll get through this legislative session, and I think if you see [approval] numbers like this and you see the public being there and I feel like I’m able to do the job, I think I would look at it,” Walz said in an interview with WCCO television last week.

“If the people of Minnesota think it’s the best for them, I would be honored to continue to serve,” Walz continued.

Walz held a fundraiser for his gubernatorial campaign committee in early January with his wife, Gwen. Absent from the fundraiser was Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. The two reportedly had a falling out after Walz returned home from the national campaign.

Walz and Flanagan both avoided answering questions about if they would run together again in recent weeks. On Thursday, Flanagan announced she would run for U.S. Senate in 2026 to replace outgoing Sen. Tina Smith.

A source familiar with conversations said Thursday that Walz hadn’t ruled out the possibility of himself running for Smith’s Senate seat.

Former GOP gubernatorial nominee Scott Jensen told the Minnesota Star Tribune this week he is “strongly considering” running again next year. Jensen, a Chaska physician and former state senator, rose to prominence in the state Republican Party during the COVID-19 pandemic as an outspoken skeptic of death counts, vaccines and mask mandates.

Jensen lost to Walz by nearly 8 percentage points in 2022. Despite being at the top of the ticket, Jensen garnered fewer votes than the GOP’s candidates for attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor.

In an interview, Jensen acknowledged he “made some unforced errors” during his first campaign for governor and said he would be a more disciplined candidate if he runs again.

Jensen said he believes Minnesota is headed in the wrong direction under Walz. He cited concerns about fraud in state government programs and declining reading scores among Minnesota students. He also criticized Walz and Democrats in the Legislature for spending most of a $17.5 billion surplus and raising some taxes in 2023.

The Republican added that he thinks Walz is more vulnerable after his record was scrutinized on the national stage.

“I think the examination of Tim Walz as a candidate by the national media exposed much,” Jensen said. “His tendency to exaggerate or embellish or … fib.”

GOP activist Kendall Qualls campaigned for governor in 2022 and narrowly lost the party’s endorsement to Jensen. Last month, Qualls was asked if he would run for governor again while guest hosting a conservative talk radio show.

“Running again or being a candidate again is something I’m considering,” Qualls answered. “I have not made a final decision. My wife and I are considering it. We’re praying about it. And, you know, we hope to come to this final conclusion soon.”

“Thank you for asking, and it would be an honor to serve our state and to serve our country,” he said.

Qualls is an Army veteran and former health care executive. He ran for Congress in 2020 against Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips and lost by about 11 percentage points.

He did not respond to the Star Tribune’s requests for comment about his 2026 plans.

Former attorney general candidate Jim Schultz, who came about 21,000 votes short of defeating Keith Ellison in 2022, said he’s been encouraged to run against Walz.

In a statement to the Star Tribune on Tuesday, Schultz said “it has been gratifying to receive so much encouragement to run statewide again.”

“My heart is in continuing to serve Minnesota,” he said. “But with Molly and I welcoming just yesterday our fourth child — a very healthy 10-pound boy - further consideration of any run is going to have to wait for the time being.”

Schultz was a political newcomer when he ran against Ellison. He garnered a higher share of the vote than any other Republican running for statewide office that year, and he noted after his loss that he “received substantially more total votes than any Republican candidate for constitutional office in Minnesota’s history.”

In 2023, Schultz launched a new conservative business lobby called the Minnesota Private Business Council. He’s led the council for nearly two years, establishing himself as a prominent conservative voice in the state’s business community.

Attorney Chris Madel has been rumored to be contemplating a run for the governor’s mansion. Madel was the attorney for state trooper Ryan Londregan, who faced criminal charges in the shooting death of Ricky Cobb II that were later dismissed. He is representing Alpha News and its star reporter, Liz Collin, who are being sued for defamation by a high-ranking Minneapolis police officer over claims made in the film, “The Fall of Minneapolis.”

Political observers noted that several “Chris Madel for governor” web domains were registered in mid-January. Madel would not confirm or deny his interest in the race when asked by a Star Tribune reporter late last month.

“As a policy, I admit nothing, and I deny nothing,” Madel said.

In January, Madel wrote an op-ed in Alpha News urging state House Republicans to fight back against the DFL’s boycott of the legislative session. He slammed Walz’s leadership at the beginning of the op-ed while also noting he once supported the governor.

Two of Minnesota’s most prominent Republicans, U.S. Reps. Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber, both said they will not run for governor next year.

Emmer, who holds the third-highest-ranking position in Congress, ruled out a second run for the governor’s mansion in a recent Wall Street Journal profile. He lost the 2010 governor’s race to Democrat Mark Dayton.

Stauber, who represents northeastern Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District, has regularly attacked Walz on social media over the past several months, fueling speculation of a possible gubernatorial run. Some DFL operatives were concerned about the prospect, noting Stauber’s popularity in his district and his résumé as a former professional hockey player and retired police officer.

Stauber told a Star Tribune reporter last week that he “can do a lot of good for not only Minnesota but our nation” by continuing to serve on the U.S. House Committees on Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure.

“I’m humbled by people thinking that I should run, but the fact of the matter is, I’m not going to run for governor,” Stauber said.

Staff writers Sydney Kashiwagi and Rochelle Olson contributed to this report.