On Saturday, Dr. Scott Jensen won the gubernatorial endorsement of the Minnesota GOP at the end of a drama-filled convention. This victory came after nine rounds of voting, which gradually eliminated candidates. The convention, which was held in Rochester, also saw the endorsement of underdog Jim Schultz for Attorney General, Ryan Wilson for State Auditor, and Kim Crockett for Secretary of State.
On Friday, as the state GOP convention began, delegates from across Minnesota brought up the issues that most concerned them in this election. According to the Rochester Post Bulletin, the main issues for delegates were election integrity, border security, and freedom. Debbie Siefert, a delegate from Olmsted County, made known her concerns over voting rights and indoctrination in schools. Looking toward the future, Ms. Siefert hopes to “have a lot of young people wake up and get involved and really come back and fight for America.” These issues would become key talking points for candidates as they sought to gain GOP endorsement.
Five GOP gubernatorial candidates entered the convention hoping to be endorsed: Scott Jensen, Kendall Qualls, Mike Murphy, Neil Shah, and Paul Gazelka. Each of the candidates pledged to end their campaigns if they were not endorsed. Rich Stanek, who temporarily exited the campaign trail due to a car accident in Buffalo, skipped the convention and may instead participate in the August primary.
Paul Gazelka, who received the fewest votes in the first round, dropped out and endorsed Kendall Qualls. State Senator Michelle Benson, who dropped out of the race before the convention, also endorsed Qualls. Neil Shah, who dropped out during the convention, endorsed Mike Murphy.
Donning his MAGA hat, Mike Murphy was next to exit. In a speech to the convention, Murphy accused Kendall Qualls of offering him the position of Lieutenant Governor on a Qualls ticket and then backing down, so he endorsed Dr. Scott Jensen instead. His accusations have not been confirmed. Murphy ended his speech by calling Qualls a “sellout.” After this brief spat, Kendall Qualls, vigorously denying Murphy’s accusation, announced he would end his campaign and return to private life. Murphy later apologized for his actions in a video on Twitter. He defended his endorsement of Dr. Jensen by saying, “we have to make sure there is no primary challenger for this governor's race.”
In his victory speech, Dr. Scott Jensen touted his tagline, “Game over, Tim Walz. Game over.” Dr. Jensen, who worked as a family doctor and became well known for his critique of Governor Walz’s COVID-19 restrictions, promised to pass voter ID laws, school choice, and constitutional carry of firearms. He also vowed to “rewrite” the Governor’s emergency powers. However, Jensen's rise has not been without controversy, especially after his controversial support of gun-control legislation in 2018. He publicly apologized for that decision at the convention.
While much media attention focused on the gubernatorial race, the delegates also made other endorsements. Jim Schultz, who participated in the Minnesota Family Council Attorney General debate, won the delegates’ endorsement. Schultz promised to keep Minnesota safe by “prioritizing public safety, supporting and funding the police, and prosecuting criminals.” His victory was an upset, beating both 2018 candidate Doug Wardlow and former Judge Tad Jude. Doug Wardlow did not concede, despite having pledged to abide by the endorsement, has announced plans to continue his campaign through the August 9th primary election. In addition, Kim Crockett won endorsement for Secretary of State over Kelly Jahner-Byrne, and delegates endorsed Ryan Wilson, who ran unopposed, for State Auditor.
Looking forward, Dr. Scott Jensen may face off against former Sheriff Rich Stanek during the August 9th primary election. If Stanek drops out, Jensen will compete against the Democratic nominee—incumbent Governor Tim Walz—in November.
