Minnesota Governor Voter Guide: Klobuchar, Demuth and Young on Fraud and Priorities
Three candidates are on the ballot for governor of Minnesota on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: DFL nominee Amy Klobuchar, Republican Lisa Demuth and Green Party nominee Steven Young. Gov. Tim Walz dropped his bid for a third term in January, so the seat is open.
The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares the three side by side on fraud in state programs and their top priorities. Here is where each one stands, based on the video and the candidates' own words.
Amy Klobuchar (DFL)
Klobuchar is Minnesota's senior U.S. senator and a former Hennepin County attorney. Her running mate is Ben Schierer, a former mayor of Fergus Falls, according to the KAXE election guide.
On fraud, the video says Klobuchar would start a state audit on day one and ban people convicted of fraud from state grants. In her KAXE answers she pledges "a top-to-bottom audit of state agencies to root out fraud," along with stronger criminal penalties and surprise in-person inspections. In the final debate she said she pushed for more federal prosecutors when she first learned of the fraud cases, the Minnesota Reformer reported.
On priorities, the video says Klobuchar wants to lower health care, day care and housing costs and support rural hospitals. She told KAXE she wants to lower what Minnesotans pay for health care, day care and housing, expand rural broadband and workforce training, and take on drug companies over prescription prices.
Lisa Demuth (Republican)
Demuth is speaker of the Minnesota House and a former school board member from Cold Spring. Her running mate is attorney Ryan Wilson, the 2022 Republican nominee for state auditor.
On fraud, the video says Demuth would fire those responsible for fraud in state programs. She told KAXE, "As governor I will fire those responsible for the fraud," and her campaign has released a separate fraud prevention plan. In the debate she argued that Klobuchar was "silent on fraud" until she ran for governor, a charge Klobuchar called "absurd."
On priorities, the video says Demuth would cut income taxes in the lowest brackets, lower car tab fees and end state taxes on Social Security. Her affordability agenda calls for a $99 cap on car tab fees, $150 million in property tax cuts and returning part of future surpluses as property tax rebates.
Steven Young (Green)
Young is a Minneapolis light rail operator, a 12-year Marine Corps veteran and a former lawyer, according to his KAXE answers. His running mate is Jane Kirby.
On fraud, the video says Young would stop outsourcing state programs to private groups and spend funds only through state staff. He told KAXE, "State funds will only be spent by accountable state personnel."
On priorities, the video says Young wants a green jobs program and a neighborhood-based, state-backed defense against federal overreach. His KAXE answers list "green jobs" and "unified defense against federal over reach" among his top three goals, and his campaign is built around opposition to federal immigration enforcement in the state.
Where to Follow the Candidates
Amy Klobuchar: @amyklobuchar on X and TikTok. Lisa Demuth: @LisaDemuthMN on X and @lisaformn on TikTok. Steven Young: no verified campaign account found on X.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: KAXE, 2026 Election Guide: Minnesota Governor: https://www.kaxe.org/2026-09-28/governor-demuth-klobuchar-young-mn-2026-election-guide ; Minnesota Reformer, "Takeaways from the final gubernatorial debate between Demuth, Klobuchar" (Oct. 21, 2026): https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/10/21/takeaways-from-the-final-gubernatorial-debate-between-demuth-klobuchar/ ; Lisa Demuth campaign, Affordability Agenda: https://lisaformn.com/affordability-agenda/ ; Amy Klobuchar campaign: https://www.amyklobuchar.com/ ; Steve Young campaign: https://steveformn.info/
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