Olson: Steve Simon is a top DFL pick for the 2026 gubernatorial race, and for good reason

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So loud is the growing buzz around Secretary of State Steve Simon that he’s likely the front-runner in a race that he has not entered and does not yet exist.

That would be the 2026 DFL governor’s race. Like everyone else, Simon’s awaiting word from DFL Gov. Tim Walz about his plans for a third term.

Walz, in his second term, has said he would make a public declaration about his future after the Minnesota State Fair. Labor Day marks the end of the fair and all eyes, at least in the Minnesota political realm, will turn to Walz.

We’re going to find out whether the governor is up to seeking an unprecedented third four-year term and a grinding campaign that will require constant swatting of accusations that he allowed fraud to flourish in Minnesota.

Walz is supposedly on the fence, but I’d suggest his ambivalence is a sign he’s ready to move on and, maybe, we are as well.

The high regard with which Simon is held is measured by the fact that he’s one of the first names mentioned as a candidate if there is an open 2026 gubernatorial race.

At 55, Simon’s a veteran lawyer and former state representative who has run the secretary’s office in a scrupulously nonpartisan fashion for 11 years.

When a passerby at the secretary of state’s booth in the Education Building at the State Fair thanked Simon for not caving to President Donald Trump’s demands to hand over Minnesota voter-registration rolls, Simon explained his position from a legal standpoint, not a partisan attack.

“What we’re saying is, ‘You’ve got to show us some things’” before the state hands anything over, Simon said.

If the dispute with Trump over voter-registration information continues, Simon told the visitor, “That’s what we have courts for.”

Simon’s not one to demand attention or to insert himself into controversy. He’s careful, studious and seemingly incapable of overreach, misstep or gaffe. That’s his profile — genuine and understated. Wouldn’t those be nice qualities to have in a governor?

But before spending some time with him at this year’s fair, I wondered if he had star power or was capable of charisma and relaxed banter among the fairgoers. I now feel silly for doubting him.

Over a couple of hours, Simon, a self-described fair person, flowed from impromptu chats with the fair Princess Kay Malorie Thorson of Waverly; Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union; state Sen. Mark Koran, R-North Branch, and a dozen high school students from the League of Women Voters youth program.

In each encounter, Simon connected in a low-key fashion that is possible only because he cares about those around him and has always paid intense attention.

I confess he pulled the same trick on me, asking if I recalled our first meeting at Minneapolis City Hall 20 years ago, inquiring about the logistics of my recent overseas vacation and my recent job transition. It didn’t feel like a Jedi mind trick as much as the advanced ability of a skilled public official to personally relate to the person with whom he spoke.

“Thank you all for being here, I really appreciate your efforts,” he told them before starting in on a series of questions that got them all thinking and talking.

“We just had a knock-down drag-out presidential election. How did that play out in your schools?” he asked. “Was it, ‘This is great,’ or ‘Wake me when it’s over?’”

He told them to be honest with their responses, not just tell him what they thought he wanted to hear.

He wanted to know if they thought their classmates were ready to be voters. He talked about the importance of registering and voting at the first legal opportunity, which provides a hook to a lifelong commitment to civic engagement.

They listened intently as he shifted into an explanatory pitch about the importance of voting. “This is not charity,” he told them. “This is not a blood drive. It’s in your self-interest to vote.”

It was facts, evidence and argument from the lawyer building a case.

Simon’s going to be similarly patient with Walz. “The governor’s earned a little space and grace here,” he said.

When asked if he was capable of scaling up a gubernatorial campaign quickly if it comes to that, Simon was similarly reserved and deflected. “Yeah, but a lot of people could,” he said.

Some could, yes, but Simon’s smarts and talent would prove formidable. I suspect Simon’s preparing privately about how he would run for governor. I hope he’s thinking big.

If Walz is out, the Minnesota DFL needs to tap a leader with an expansive and bold vision for the state beyond the next election cycle.