During gubernatorial debate, Klobuchar quickly distances herself from Gov. Tim Walz 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar wasted no time throwing Gov. Tim Walz overboard during her first debate with Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth.

The Brainerd debate between the two candidates for governor was hosted by the KSTP and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Most of the questions centered around Minnesota’s business climate.

Both candidates said Minnesota is on the wrong track after Walz’s two terms, and Demuth immediately tried to tie Klobuchar to Walz, a fellow Democrat, repeating her campaign’s theme that Klobuchar would offer more of the same governance that’s delivered a fraud crisis in the state’s safety net programs.

Klobuchar, who was Hennepin County attorney before her election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, sought to shut down Demuth’s attack quickly: “I have been very clear. I would have caught that fraud. I would have done something about it. We have very different backgrounds. … I would have clearly not pardoned a sex offender. I could list a number of other ways I’m different than Tim Walz. I know you wish you were debating Tim Walz, but I’m the one here right now.”

(The sex-offender pardon refers to Walz’s yes vote this year on a pardon for Tou Lue Vang, who was convicted in 2006 of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl over roughly two years. The victim called for the pardon, though the Ramsey County attorney disagreed with the decision. Vang has since been deported.)

Demuth is the underdog in a year when Republicans are struggling to escape the shadow of an unpopular president. She criticized Minnesota’s senior senator for refraining from publicly addressing the fraud when the news of it first broke.

“Never a word about fraud … until after Tim Walz selected her to run as his candidate. So my question is, why didn’t you do more?” Demuth asked.

Klobuchar responded that after the Feeding Our Future scandal broke in 2022, she helped hire more attorneys in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s office, who then went on to prosecute the fraud.

The gubernatorial candidates also addressed affordability, bolstering the state’s economy and taxes.

Healthcare 

Demuth said the cost of healthcare and health insurance has skyrocketed in Minnesota, and she said throughout her tenure in the Minnesota Legislature she has voted to fund the state’s reinsurance program, through which the government pays for the most expensive claims, driving down the cost of premiums on Minnesota’s individual health insurance market.

Demuth also noted that she voted for Minnesota’s 2020 Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, which allows people to acquire a one-time, 30-day supply of insulin on an emergency basis. The Reformer reported last week that in recent questionnaires, Demuth said she voted to cap the price of insulin, but she voted against insulin-capping legislation at least twice.

Klobuchar in the debate said that Alec Smith’s mother, who is supporting Klobuchar’s campaign, has criticized Demuth for claiming to support capping the price of insulin.

Klobuchar reiterated her plan of creating a state tax credit to help with healthcare premiums if the federal government fails to extend federal subsidies. That would cost about $180 million, Klobuchar says.

Minnesota’s economy

Crafting a state budget will be the first job of Minnesota’s next governor, who will need to work with the Legislature to create a two-year budget by June 30, 2027. Minnesota’s spending is expected to continue to outpace revenue in the next few years, and the state is facing a multi-billion structural imbalance beginning in July.

Demuth said that Minnesota needs a change of direction from the eight years of Democratic control in the governor’s office, because people are feeling overburdened by taxes and regulations.

“Are you better off than you were eight years ago or do you need a change? If you are ready for a fresh start and needed change, I would be the one to lead that,” Demuth said.

Demuth said that fraud in Minnesota’s social safety net programs has hindered the state’s economy, and that policies passed by the Democratic trifecta in 2023 and 2024 — like paid leave and paid sick leave – are driving up costs for businesses. She said she will have an open-door policy for businesses, seeking a contrast with the Walz administration.

(Walz has frequently met with and talked to business leaders over the years, though he’s also listened to organized labor and progressive groups and often sided with them during the momentous 2023 legislative session.)

Klobuchar said that she envisions a “growth economy” for Minnesota, including a more efficient government and cheaper housing, childcare and healthcare. She also said that the next governor should stand up to President Donald Trump’s tariffs and negotiate subnational agreements directly with Canada to help lower the costs of goods.

Both Demuth and Klobuchar said as governor they would not increase taxes.

Klobuchar said she would work to bolster Minnesota’s rainy day fund, calling Minnesota’s current $3.2 billion reserve “average” during a Garrison Keillor reference.

“We’re a state where, you know, the women are strong, the men are good looking, and the rainy day funds are about average, but I want to make sure that our rainy day fund stays strong,” Klobuchar said.

In a final contrast with Klobuchar, whose bullying behavior with her staff has been thoroughly covered in recent years, Demuth said as governor she would refrain such actions.

“I will not be throwing office supplies or cutting people down or making people feel less than,” Demuth said.