Klobuchar Wins Minnesota Governor Race
Klobuchar defeated Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth, and her Senate seat will be filled by a temporary appointee.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Do you trust Minnesota's governor to fill Klobuchar's Senate seat well?
Amy Klobuchar won Minnesota's governor's race over Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth. Her departure from the U.S. Senate means the governor will appoint a temporary senator until a special election.
Why it matters
The vacancy triggers an appointment that will shape Minnesota's representation in Washington before voters choose a permanent senator in November 2027. Klobuchar and Tina Smith are leaving Congress together, a combined loss of 28 years of Senate experience.
Klobuchar will be sworn in as governor on Jan. 4, and state law requires a U.S. Senate special election to be held the November following a vacancy. The timing of her resignation will determine whether Gov. Tim Walz or Klobuchar names the replacement.
The players
Amy Klobuchar
Klobuchar is a longtime Minnesota U.S. senator who previously chaired the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and serves as ranking member of the Agriculture Committee.
Lisa Demuth
Demuth is the Republican speaker of the Minnesota House who lost the governor's race to Klobuchar.
Tim Walz
Walz is Minnesota's governor, who will make the temporary Senate appointment depending on the timing of Klobuchar's resignation.
The details
When a Minnesota U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant, the governor appoints a temporary senator until a special election. Walz has said he would "rather eat glass" than be appointed to the Senate himself, and he could signal his choice before Klobuchar's inauguration or defer the decision to her.
Timeline
November 2017: Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Tina Smith after Al Franken resigned.
2018: Smith won the special election over Karin Housley by 10 percentage points.
Jan. 4: Klobuchar will be sworn in as governor.
November 2027: A special election will be held for the Senate seat.
Political Context
Minnesota has used this appointment-then-special-election sequence before: Dayton appointed Smith in 2017 after Franken resigned, and Smith won the 2018 special election by 10 points over Karin Housley. The 1976 Senate appointment of Gov. Wendell Anderson is another precedent, followed by the 1978 "Minnesota massacre," when voters ousted Anderson and most Democrats.
Minnesotans will have a temporary senator appointed by the governor until voters pick a permanent one in November 2027. Whoever wins that race will serve out the remainder of Klobuchar's term, which ends in January 2031.
The takeaway
The Senate appointment and the 2027 special election will determine who represents Minnesota before Klobuchar's term would have ended in 2031. Readers should watch for the timing of her resignation, since that decides whether Walz or Klobuchar makes the pick.
What happens next
Klobuchar will be sworn in as governor on Jan. 4, at which point the Senate vacancy will be filled by a gubernatorial appointee. A special election for the seat is set for November 2027.
Further reading
For more on how these races are decided, see Elections coverage across Minnesota.
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Do you trust Minnesota's governor to fill Klobuchar's Senate seat well?
