The Minnesota Governor race will be a highly competitive contest as Tyrant Tim Walz seeks a third term, something no Governor has ever achieved in MN history. Walz has become increasingly unpopular in MN since his failed VP campaign and a strong candidate could defeat him. 

Walz is increasingly vulnerable as shown in a recent KSTP poll that shows he is down to only a 47% approval. According to the same poll, a majority of likely voters do not want him to run for a third term and only 71% of Democrats want him to run. Even Walz has acknowledged that the national spotlight made Minnesota get sick of him.

Historically, a candidate will increase the vote share for their state compared to the previous election. In Walz’ case, he lost ground for Democrats in MN while Trump expanded the MAGA base. On the national stage, Walz was exposed as a habitual liar and a psycho leftist with Trump derangement syndrome. While the Right and Independents have wisened up to Walz, he has even received public criticism from Kamala Harris on his embarrassing debate performance against JD Vance. Kamala has even admitted that Walz wasn't her first choice for VP!

If the over 1.5M MN citizens who voted for Trump in 2024 (highest vote GOP candidate has ever received in MN) turn out to vote Republican in 2026, it will be over for Walz. However, the GOP candidate must be aligned with the MAGA base or conservatives won’t show up to vote.

Conservatives can go to their caucus in February 2026 to sign up to become a BPOU delegate and then later a state convention delegate to decide the endorsements for Governor and other statewide races. However, it is not clear if any GOP Governor candidates will abide by the endorsement! Attendees tell A4L that at a Governor candidate forum preceding a State Central convention, Scott Jensen, Phil Parrish, Brad Kohler, and Kendall Qualls all refused to abide by the party endorsement. 

Below you will find information about each GOP candidate running followed by potential candidates:

Scott Jensen

Jensen has become a known commodity as the 2022 GOP nominee for Governor and while he did increase some ground for Republicans, he went on to lose by over 7.5% to Walz. Following the loss, Jensen flip-flopped on abortion, which wouldn’t be a surprise to those that knew he funded abortion/Planned Parenthood in the state Senate and he previously interned for Planned Parenthood. Jensen will not sign ANY pro-life bills as Governor, showing he will flip-flop and have clips with him on every side of the issue. Jensen is also weak on gun control as he previously caved to Moms Demand Action and pushed gun control legislation. Jensen even suggested that gun rights activists being delegates and holding politicians to standards makes it difficult to win the general election. Jensen has argued the endorsement process should be trashed despite it giving voice to very active conservatives. While he can give a well-delivered speech, Jensen is considered a very weak debater by many political observers. Similar to his 2022 run, Jensen has refused to sign the Never Again pledge despite the tough talk on Emergency Powers, lockdowns, and mask/vax mandates. Jensen likely has less momentum and grassroots support than his previous run and has proven himself not to be a candidate who can defeat Tim Walz. 

Kristin Robbins

Robbins is a state Rep. and the author of the FAKE Never Again Bill which watered down A4L and Erik Mortensen’s bill to end unilateral Emergency Powers by the Governor. Robbins’ bill increased unilateral Governor Emergency Powers from 5 days to 14 days and did nothing about mask/vax mandates. She refuses to sign the Never Again pledge, showing she is not the real deal on these critical issues. As Chair of the Fraud Committee, Robbins has been reactionary to fraud rather than fixing the root issue causing massive fraud in our state: Unconstitutional omnibus bills. Robbins instead votes for many of these bills, including the pork-filled omnibus bill that funds abortion and Planned Parenthood. Robbins and the Fraud Committee have refused to look into PPP loan fraud allegations against RINO Rep. Ron Kresha, proving she only opposes fraud when doing so benefits her politically. Robbins also has a history of refusing to abide by party endorsements as she ran against conservative Brad Ganzer in 2018 after she was rejected by local Republican delegates. Robbins is also Neocon Nikki Haley's endorsed candidate and her "secret weapon". As previously reported by A4L, Haley is fundraising for Robbins because she was Nikki Haley's 2024 MN campaign chair against President Trump.

Jeff Johnson

Johnson is a former city councilman in St. Cloud who doesn’t appear to have much of a campaign. Johnson may benefit from a false recognition of his name, as some will presume 2014 and 2018 GOP nominee Jeff Johnson is running again. Johnson previously told delegates he would not seek the party’s endorsement and would go right to the primary but has since changed course. It is not clear what he will actually do besides posting. low-quality, so-called memes he posts supporting his campaign. While Johnson is sounding conservative on some key issues, he has refused to sign the Never Again pledge and now resides with RINO Governor candidates that want unilateral Emergency Powers under their reign. Some conservative activists in St. Cloud appreciated his record on the city council and are asking that he end his Governor campaign and instead run against radical leftist Aric Putnam for state Senate in a district that was won by President Trump in 2024.

Kendall Qualls

Qualls is a previous healthcare executive for Johnson & Johnson and previously ran for Governor in 2022. The convention went multiple rounds when Mike Murphy accused Qualls’ team of offering him the Lt. Gov. spot then taking it back. Many instead suspected Qualls was picking pro-abortion Michelle Tafoya, who chaired his campaign. During that campaign funded by healthcare/pharmaceutical mega-donor David Frauenshush, Qualls changed his position on Emergency Powers THREE TIMES on his website. Like Jensen, Qualls is considered a very weak and underwhelming debater, as displayed in the 2022 primary and against Dean Phillips in a 2020 run for Congress where he wore useless masks on the campaign trail. Unsurprisingly, Qualls has refused to sign the Never Again pledge. In between campaigns, he has run a grifting non-profit and supported RINOs like David Hann for Chair. It is also to be seen if he will honor the endorsement since he did not immediately endorse Jensen at the 2022 state convention and in 2024 he endorsed RINO He/Him Joe Frasier after the GOP delegates endorsed Royce White for U.S. Senate. In 2022, Qualls’ campaign started slow but many establishment forces consolidated around him as the convention got closer which will be something to watch out for again. With Qualls putting his Governor hat on again, he will be one to watch closely and be underwhelmed by. Despite having some statewide name recognition, Qualls performs the WORST in polling among Republican candidates running against Walz!

Phillip Parrish

Parrish is a Navy Lieutenant Commander veteran and former teacher. Parrish has run for office several times like U.S. Senate in 2014, Governor in 2018, MNGOP Chair in 2021, and SOS briefly in 2022. Parrish attributes his previous losses and battles with grassroots liberty activists to his previous anger and attitude which he feels has been corrected to reach a broader audience. While Jeff Johnson memes are something to squint at, Phil Parrish AI memes like his power walk with the Incredible Hulk behind him are something to behold! Parrish outperformed Kendall Qualls in recent KSTP polling in head-to-head's against Walz and has been a candidate some in the grassroots have gravitated towards. Parrish has not pledged to abide by the party endorsement but he has signed onto the Never Again Pledge to prove to MN citizens that he will strip power from himself and never allow a Governor to shut down our state on their own ever again.

Brad Kohler

Kohler is a former UFC heavyweight professional fighter and small business owner. He has previously run for state Senate in SD38 in 2022, Congress in CD3 in 2024, and Hennepin County Commissioner following him not receiving the CD3 GOP endorsement. Kohler may face questions from voters on felony charges of his including malicious punishment of a child and third degree assault. When asked about these charges on the Truth Hurts show, Kohler said he was pressured into guilty pleas and was simply making underage thieves work out as a punishment for theft and was over-charged. He says he will answer questions on these charges head-on, has learned from his mistakes, and believes he brings a unique experience for judicial issues. Kohler was the first candidate this cycle to sign the Never Again pledge and did so at A4L’s ultra-popular Never Walz state fair booth.

Trevor Burkholder

Burkholder is a truck driver and is a lesser-known candidate for Governor. His campaign Facebook page has only 36 followers but he does appear to be a conservative. It is not clear if he will campaign for the party’s endorsement or go right to the primary. Burkholder was contacted by A4L to sign the Never Again pledge and he has agreed to do so but A4L is yet to receive the signed pledge from him.

Thomas Evenstad

Evenstad was convicted of rape in 1999 and was released from prison in 2008. He contends he was innocent. In 2014, Evenstad plead guilty to charges involving stalking and threatening people involved in his rape conviction including then Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, the judge, the prosecutor, and the victim. For those crimes Evenstad was sentenced to 20 years of probation. Evenstad is another unserious candidate with zero chance.

Potential candidates

Mike Lindell

The MyPillow CEO has floated the idea of running against Tim Walz for Governor since 2021 but some believe he has taken some steps to run this time. Mike Lindell told the Star Tribune that he is looking at polling against Walz and is “about 99% there” on running. Lindell would walk into the race with major name-ID and the ability to nationally fundraise. Democrats may bash Lindell over the head with some of his past drug use but may forget that America loves a redemption story. Mike Lindell turned his life around from a crackhead to an energized Christian pillow salesman. While Lindell certainly appears to be a hardcore conservative, he is new to politics and will be less savvy to political strategy and norms. His celebrity factor and personal story could overcome the areas Lindell lacks if he campaigns correctly. Lindell appears to understand something that several major candidates don’t in his interview with the Star Tribune when he said “... if I’m the only one that can win, that would be a shame if that opportunity slipped by.” If Lindell means that the MAGA base will only turn out en-masse if they see their values and principles represented, he is 100% right. Opponents of Lindell will argue that he is unelectable and/or moved the election integrity movement backwards. Many have said the same of President Trump but Lindell may be a different story. His election symposium provided little credibility to the Stop The Steal movement. He also seems to have a bit of a temper and can snap on people, which is not always a bad thing in politics but may turn some voters off. Lindell entering the race would change the dynamics of the primary and general elections big-time, especially if he came in with Trump’s endorsement.

Lisa Demuth

Minnesota’s Speaker of the House has become a name floated for Governor as the field expands. Demuth would be argued as the most electable candidate, however, conservatives will have to abandon almost all their values to support her. From caving to Dems and seating Brad Tabke to Demuth negotiating with Walz behind closed doors to pass the 2nd LARGEST budget in MN history including (among other things) abortion/Planned Parenthood funding, giving Keith Ellison a bigger budget, spent millions of tax dollars to a LGBTQIA2S+ council, spent billions on woke leftist universities and colleges, kept woke leftist policies in place, and gave our state $700M worth of debt. Demuth has come out strong against gun control in a potential special session Walz appears poised to call. A special session would be a serious test for Demuth to prove she can fight back against liberal pressure. 

Tom Emmer

While Tom Emmer has ruled out a run for Governor multiple times, he has been called on by President Trump to run. While Trump has been nothing but friendly publicly with Emmer since the MN GOP Congress delegation endorsed him for President but many remember Trump ending Emmer’s Speaker run by labeling him a “Globalist RINO” that was not in line with America First voters and was only pretending to be MAGA. Trump has since chosen peace with Emmer so he can have his priorities pushed through Congress but some suspect Trump wants Emmer out of DC totally and that is the real reason he is pressuring Emmer to run! Emmer likely wants to just be handed the nomination and not have to compete for it, it's much easier to win when your puppets disqualify and kick out your opponent with bogus attacks so you can just be handed the nomination. Emmer would bring all kinds of national money into the Governor's race but he has distanced himself so far from grassroots conservatives and would fail to turn out the base.

David Hann

The failed former Chair of the MNGOP, Anti-MAGA David Hann, is reportedly still considering a Governor run despite A4L exposing that he secretly was paying a Kamala supporter tens of thousands of dollars with MNGOP funds. Among other issues, Hann was fired by the State Central delegates as Chair for the 1972-10 company payments secrecy (Hann paying the Kamala supporter), Hann's disenfranchisement of grassroots Otter Tail delegates, Hann cutting of data access to candidates endorsed by their local GOP, and the financial disasters of the party. As seen in previous reporting, Hann couldn't run a party and definitely can't run the state, he even tried to take credit for Trump bailing the party out of debt with his speech at the Lincoln Dinner! Hann is a spineless RINO that was better friends with Democrat Chair Ken Martin than he was with the conservative grassroots of the party; For instance, the GOP delegates fired Hann as Chair and Ken Martin threw a hissy fit! In 2012, Hann allegedly tried to start a "Draft Hann" for Governor movement at a 2012 State Central meeting. A REAL "draft" campaign is constituents asking someone to run, not a candidate deceitfully pretending there is natural grassroots support for them! Considering Hann was rejected by the political insiders State Central delegates, the much larger state convention delegate pool and the statewide GOP primary voter are even more conservative and would reject Hann by bigger margins! Hann would be a dream opponent for Walz because Hann would guarantee vast numbers of conservatives do not show up to vote.

Jim Nash

Nash is a state Rep. and the author of the bill that gave Keith Ellison’s office more money and gave millions to a LGBTQIA2S+ council. The Star Tribune reported last month that Nash is mulling a run. Nash is the GOP House Whip which means he tells the other GOP Reps to vote how GOP leadership wants them to (like to vote for the abortion/Planned Parenthood spending bill). This means that Jim Nash is voting for just about every single crony, Uniparty omnibus bill and advocating for other Reps to do the same thing. Nash is the furthest thing from a real conservative and would be a total unknown to most of the state.

Chris Madel

Madel is a Minneapolis attorney who gained some statewide attention as the lawyer for MN State Trooper Ryan Londregan, who shot and killed an individual (Ricky Cobb) after Cobb dangerously drove off during a traffic stop while police were entering the vehicle. While the cop-hating Left wanted to make an example out of Londregan, Madel kept the public up to date during the legal battle. It is unknown how Madel falls on many of the issues but has been reported by the Star Tribune to be mulling a run. Madel is a MPPOA legal defense fund member which is a knock against him as the MPPOA is pro-gun control, gives awards to swing district fake moderate Democrats, endorses drunk driver Democrats, and does not represent the true interests of rank and file law enforcement in the legislature. Many would likely dismiss Madel as a candidate once discovering that he has donated thousands of dollars to leftist candidates. Looking at FEC contributions in 2023-2024, Chris Madel gave Angie Craig, Betty McCollum, Kamala Harris, and Amy Klobuchar at least $3K each! He gave Kamala $6.6K and even gave TDS maniac Jamie Raskin $250. The only federal Republican it appears he gave to was $3.3K for RINO Michelle Fischbach. Even if he had a genuine change of heart, Madel likely will never have the trust of grassroots conservatives with his record of financially propping up Democrats.

Conclusion

Action 4 Liberty will always keep Patriots informed and will never waver on principle. Candidates for Governor that are fake MAGA during the primary and then run to the center for the general election are destined for failure. The only way to win will be by exciting the MAGA base and outperforming Democrats. If the GOP nominates some squishy RINO, we will see a repeat of 2022 with some marginal gains.