Dr. Scott Jensen has entered the 2026 race for governor.
The former state senator said Minnesota has seen enough “rising crime, failing schools and a business climate that pushes innovation out of the state” over the last several years, much of it under a DFL trifecta at the State Capitol.
While Jensen didn’t mention Gov. Tim Walz by name on Thursday, he pledged in his campaign announcement to “restore Minnesota.”
“I will govern with transparency, integrity, and relentless optimism,” Jensen said. “I’ll listen to Minnesotans, not special interests. It’s time to heal our divisions, protect our rural heritage, and revitalize our cities.”
“We remember the days when our communities were safe, our schools were strong, and our leaders put people—not politics—first. That’s the Minnesota we’re going to fight to bring back.”
Scott Jensen announces for Minnesota Governor. “We want our Minnesota back” pic.twitter.com/eqTviKEkzL
— Scott Jensen (@drscottjensen) July 17, 2025
Jensen emphasized his status as a “lifelong” Minnesotan and touted his early successes during his 2022 campaign, where record fundraising and organizing supporters as delegates helped him lock up the competitive Republican Party endorsement.
Jensen ultimately lost the general election to Walz by about 7 percentage points. Whether a Jensen-Walz rematch is in store remains to be seen.
Walz told a reporter during a fundraiser in South Dakota last weekend that he is pushing back a decision on whether to run for a third term until after the Minnesota State Fair. He also said in that same interview he has “no interest” in running for the White House in 2028.
Jensen is the latest of a handful of Republicans to declare their candidacy ahead of next year’s midterm election cycle.
Other Republicans who have already launched gubernatorial campaigns include: former 2018 gubernatorial candidate Phillip Parrish, former St. Cloud City Council member Jeff Johnson, former MMA fighter Brad Kohler and former health care executive and TakeCharge Minnesota founder Kendall Qualls.
In May 2022, Jensen narrowly defeated Qualls for the Republican endorsement during the party’s state convention in Rochester. After the convention concluded, Qualls threw his support to Jensen, making for an easy primary election win in August.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
