Daughter of governor candidate fatally stabbed in St. Cloud

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ST. CLOUD - The 22-year-old St. Cloud woman fatally stabbed over the weekend was the daughter of former St. Cloud City Council member and gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson.

The Minnesota Republican Party released a statement on X on Monday that said Johnson has suspended his campaign for governor.

“There are no words that can adequately express the sorrow we feel for Jeff and his family,” the statement said. “The loss of a child is unimaginable, and our thoughts and prayers are with them as they grieve this devastating tragedy.”

Police responded to a medical emergency at an apartment in the 3100 block of 40th Avenue S. in St. Cloud just before 8:30 p.m. Feb. 7.

Officers found Hallie Marie Tobler dead inside the apartment. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office determined she died of multiple stab wounds.

Tobler’s 23-year-old husband was found locked inside the apartment with Tobler, with stab wounds that police believe were self-inflicted. He was in stable condition late Sunday at St. Cloud Hospital.

Last May, Johnson announced his candidacy for governor, noting his goals were to eliminate taxpayer fraud and support federal agents who are removing undocumented immigrants from the state. He served as a member of the St. Cloud City Council for two terms, and drew controversy in 2017 when he proposed a resolution calling for a ban on refugee resettlement. Instead, the council approved a resolution “in support of a just and welcoming community.”

In last week’s GOP straw poll, House Speaker Lisa Demuth of Cold Spring earned the most votes, with businessmen Kendall Qualls and Mike Lindell earning the next highest vote counts. Johnson had less than 1% of the vote. Johnson is not the gubernatorial candidate of the same name who ran in both 2014 and 2018.

Demuth issued a statement saying the Johnson family is “walking through an unspeakable tragedy right now, and my prayers are with them every step of the way.