Learn about the candidates on your ballot 

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

There are seven pairs of candidates running in the DFL primary for Minnesota governor and lieutenant governor: 

Ole "Viking" Savior and Ashley "Skol" Johnson

“Greetings Minnesota Voters! I'm running to protect children, empower parents and be the adult overseeing our State Lawmaker's Partisan Politics getting our kid's murdered, stealing billions from our most needy and vulnerable residents and to restore moral and spiritual goodness in the Governor Office. I'm running for Governor to obtain the justice for me I've been refused for 27 after being framed by Amy KLOBUCHAR and her Police State. New York Innocence Project REOPENED KLOBUCHARS frame and I anticipate Exoneration in 2027. I'm running to make your lives more affordable by ending Property taxes, cutting violence 60-64% under my VDP ACT & to defend and protect our State's residents from Federal government overreach & tyranny!”

What life or professional experiences led you to seek this position?

“My life experiences of being born in Springfield IL, raised in Edina MN with exceptional schools in the 1970's and '80's my life's experiences led me to seek Governor of Minnesota. I was a salesman and a Grateful Deadhead who saw 60 shows and experienced the powerful meeting 🤝 of community and band that transcended the natural for extraordinary. My tragic Wrongful Conviction 27 years ago I'm still fighting is the driving force. I'm ranked highest in Minnesota in Public Safety having pioneered GPS Monitoring and Tracking of actual sex criminals in 2003. My VDP ACT cuts gun violence 64% & helping others led me to seek Governor: Government of, by & for the people again.”

What are the top issues you're discussing with voters and why?

“Crime. It's my specialty and people want Public Safety and not the status quo $1.75B Amy KLOBUCHAR, One Minnesota Police State. After that #2 Cost of Living/FRAUD: I'm ending Property taxes and housing every single person in Minnesota using the money from the OBSCENE Public Safety and Corrections and Judiciary Budgets for openers while improving public safety. 3) Federal Government Tyranny ICE DHS: No one is tougher or more tested than I am. I'm a 27 year rape frame survivor of Amy KLOBUCHAR. I've already informed President Trump that ICE is not welcome in Minnesota without my express permission and if allowed, there's criteria including my people imbedded in any all "targeted" operations. I'll defend and protect Minnesota residents.”

“Because Minnesota needs leadership that can handle an emergency before it becomes a crisis. I am running for Governor because I believe government should be practical, accountable, and focused on results. Minnesotans deserve leaders who show up, make decisions, and solve problems when challenges arise. I have seen government work well, and I have seen where it falls short. Minnesota has tremendous potential, but potential alone is not enough. We must build a government that works for the people, spends responsibly, and prepares for the future. Minnesota should be a beacon of hope, not a beacon of taxes, and only then can we build a brighter Minnesota for all.”

“My decision to run for Governor comes from a lifetime of varied experiences. I have worked in education, transportation, hospitality, security, workforce development, and public service. I have experienced foster care, economic hardship, disability, and the challenges many working families face every day. Those experiences gave me a firsthand understanding of how government policies affect real people. Rather than viewing issues from a single perspective, I have lived and worked alongside people from many backgrounds and professions. That broad experience has shaped my belief that government should be accountable, practical, and focused on delivering results for all Minnesotans.”

“The issues I hear about most often are affordability, education, government accountability, public safety, and housing. Families are concerned about rising costs and whether they can build a future in Minnesota. In education, I often ask: if a police officer is not expected to pay for the lead in his bullet, why are teachers expected to pay for the lead in their pencils? Teachers should have the resources they need to educate our children without reaching into their own pockets. Voters also want confidence that public funds are spent responsibly, communities remain safe, and housing becomes more attainable. My focus is on practical solutions that strengthen opportunities across Minnesota while ensuring government remains accountable to the people it serves.”

“I love Minnesota, and I want to get to work improving people’s lives. I’m not interested in the status quo – I want to be a transformative governor. That means making state government more effective, innovative, and accountable, including rooting out fraud and stopping it before it starts. It means lowering costs for Minnesotans who are paying too much for health care, child care, and housing. We do not want a rubber stamp of the Trump administration in the governor's office, and I will stand up for what’s right and fix what’s wrong. I have a long record of bringing Minnesotans together to get things done and deliver results, and that’s what I will do as your governor.”

“I’ve never shied away from taking on tough fights for Minnesotans. I got involved in politics after John and I had our daughter, Abigail. Abigail couldn’t swallow and was in intensive care, but I was discharged from the hospital after just 24 hours because of insurance rules. I became the leading advocate for one of the country’s first laws guaranteeing 48-hour hospital stays for new moms and babies. After years in the private sector, I ran Minnesota’s largest prosecutor’s office, where I took on violent crime, fraud, and corruption. In the Senate, I’ve been ranked #1 for bipartisan bills and #3 out of 100 for passing bills into law. I’ll bring that same approach to delivering results as governor.”

“Everywhere I go, I hear from Minnesotans about rising costs. To improve people’s lives, we need to help people struggling to pay for health care, find affordable child care, or buy a home. That means cutting red tape and working with the private sector to build more housing, expanding access to affordable child care, and taking on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug prices. I’ll also launch a top-to-bottom audit of state agencies to root out fraud. I will strengthen criminal penalties, ban any contractor convicted of fraud from getting grants or contracts, and require surprise in-person inspections. I’ll focus on strengthening student achievement and working with businesses to expand our economy and create good-paying jobs that reward hard work.”

Minnesota is being tested, the federal government is becoming more dangerous to the people Minnesota is supposed to protect. Operation Metro Surge showed what happens when federal power comes into our communities without accountability. Workers missed paychecks. Families missed appointments. Small businesses lost customers. Child care centers saw families disappear from classrooms because parents were afraid to leave home. When Operation Metro Surge began happening, I organized with my neighbors. Working with my neighbors lit a spark to my soul. When the Governor’s race began to seem uncontested by a progressive candidate during such an important moment in history, I knew that I needed to step up. That is why I am running for Governor of Minnesota.

“When everyday people stand together and demand to be heard, they can win. I am running for governor because too many Minnesotans have stopped believing that is true, and I do not blame them. As a working person, I understand that rent climbs faster than your paycheck. Groceries cost more every month. Care for a child, a parent, or yourself is hard to find and harder to afford. It does not have to be this way. It is a set of choices, and the governor is a public servant who can make those choices. With needing a progressive candidate in the race, I decided to step up to lower costs, clean up government, and protect our land, water, and freedom.”

“First: Lower what you pay. More homes. Rent that stops outrunning paychecks. Lower medicine and medical costs. Rural hospitals that stay open. Utility regulators who answer to you. Your monthly budget is the report card. Second: Clean government - A Day One ethics order, a ban on insider stock trading, public conflicts of interest statements, protected whistleblowers, and a public dashboard with names, backlogs, and deadlines visible to everyone. Third: Protect your land, water, and freedom. Protecting the Boundary Waters. Cleaning drinking water by beginning work clearing out nitrates from rural farm wells. Protecting the right to not have the government interfere between you and your doctor. Welcoming and protecting our 2SLGBTQIA+ neighbors. Being good neighbors with our Immigrant communities.”

As of publishing, these candidates have not responded.

“I'm running because I've watched my brother's health decline from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a chronic neurological illness that I also live with. Seeing him go in and out of hospitals while healthcare costs keep rising convinced me that Minnesota can do better. No family should have to struggle to get the care they need. I want Minnesota's healthcare standards to rival the best in Europe, use the latest medical technology, lower costs for working families, strengthen chronic disease prevention, and put patients before profits. I also want to protect Minnesota from being drafted by the Epstein class for their Epstein war. Government should work for ordinary people, not special interests.”

“The experience that led me to seek this position is personal. My brother and I both live with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a chronic neurological illness. Watching his health decline and seeing him go in and out of hospitals showed me how difficult and expensive healthcare can be for ordinary families. Living with CMT has also given me firsthand experience navigating the healthcare system. I also have family members who served in the military and others who are serving today. These experiences convinced me that Minnesota can do better. I want to lower healthcare costs, improve outcomes, strengthen chronic disease prevention, and build a system that puts patients before profits, not special interests.”

“Universal American Dream: Anti-war & anti-Ice; protect Minnesota from getting drafted by the Epstein class. Anti-AIPAC/Israel; ban AIPAC/Israel from influencing politicians. tax then rich; tax the rich millionaires and billionaires epstein class, eliminate all state property, income, and sales tax. universal basic healthcare; drastically reduce healthcare cost and insurance. universal basic income; provide 1 job that pays for 1 household; 1 man, 1 job, & 1 household. universal basic farming; regenerative farming, improve soil quality to be nutrient dense. universal organic foods; increase access to real organic foods, direct-to-consumer food purchases and unpasteurized dairy sales. universal affordable housing and transportation; reduce cost of housing and vehicles. environmentally friendly; clean water, no ai data centers. These policies reduces cost of living.”

Election 2026 

There are seven pairs of candidates running in the DFL primary for Minnesota governor and lieutenant governor: Thomas Evenstad and Jason Haarsager, Bill E. Gates Jr. and Leah Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Ben Schierer, Kobey J Layne and Paul Ference, Ole "Viking" Savior and Ashley "Skol" Johnson, Po Vang and Mark Frascone and Mohammad Wazwaz and Murad Alshlool.

Who is running for governor of Minnesota in the DFL primary?

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox