Klobuchar, Demuth pound pavement at the Minnesota State Fair in campaign for governor

After 20 consecutive years shaking sweaty hands and waving to babies at the Minnesota State Fair, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and her baby blue cottage-style booth is as much a fixture here as greasy cheese curds and costumed llamas.

Arriving at the crowded Agriculture Horticulture building with a slew of staffers and a photographer on Friday morning, Klobuchar began another day of greeting supporters fanning themselves and sucking on frozen apple cider pops.

One of them was Andy Stoltmann of Rosemount. She asked where he lived and then told him that Rosemount is a growing city, which will be good for the local economy.

“It’s nice to see political people walking around, see them for real instead of seeing them on TV,” Stoltmann said.

The Reformer caught back up with Klobuchar in the Horticulture building’s bee and honey section.

“You missed me. I found the queen bee,” Klobuchar informed the Reformer. She went back to the hive on display and found the queen bee again.

Klobuchar and her Republican opponent for governor, House Speaker Lisa Demuth, have both spent nearly every day at the fair to get in front of voters who aren’t at home to see their television ads.

Numerous polls show Klobuchar leading against Demuth for Minnesota governor. Klobuchar is serving her fourth term in the U.S. Senate and was first elected to her seat in 2006. Demuth has served as Minnesota House speaker for nearly two years and is serving her fourth term in the Minnesota House. She was first elected in 2018.

Demuth spent many hours at her booth listening to the concerns of Minnesotans, most notably the fraud in Minnesota’s social safety net programs that occurred under Gov. Tim Walz’s watch. The House speaker — and Minnesota Republicans in general — are hoping voters’ frustration with fraud will propel them to their first statewide win in 20 years.

The House speaker on Aug. 28 spoke in the fair’s Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum where students were presenting their beef heifers for awards. Klobuchar was also there and spoke first, receiving a loud cheer from the audience and name-dropping a few Minnesota beef cattle ranchers, including Haley Ammann, who wrote a children’s book about one of her calves.

“We need more domestic beef, right?” Klobuchar asked the cheering crowd. “We do not need foreign beef on an unfair playing field for our cattle ranchers. I will stand up for that.”

Klobuchar was referring to President Donald Trump’s signing of a proclamation last month that would allow 300,000 metric tons of beef to enter the U.S. at a reduced tariff rate. The move has angered many cattle ranchers who are concerned that the foreign beef would hinder domestic profits for U.S. producers.

Demuth didn’t mention Trump’s beef tariff exemption, though she has said it would not be good for Minnesota ranchers.

Demuth did offer one subtle jab at Klobuchar after she left the coliseum:

“I will agree with you all in this room that the Minnesota State Fair is the best state fair in the country.”

It’s a reference to Klobuchar’s 2020 bid for president when she refused to declare the Minnesota State Fair the best in the country while campaigning hard in Iowa. Klobuchar has since said that Minnesota has the best state fair.

Demuth grew up in central Minnesota and represents a rural, agriculture-heavy district. While students presented their heifers for awards, Demuth quipped to her staffers that she had never heard of that particular breed as the student and heifer galloped by and, in one black heifers’ case, said, “That one is particularly spicy” as it repeatedly shook its head and huffed.

After congratulating the 4-H students, Demuth began to trek back to her booth. Outside the coliseum, a 6-year-old stopped her and asked her to sign his “I’m a Lisa fan” fan.

Demuth later said she wondered whether she should have signed her name in cursive, as the boy probably wouldn’t be able to read it.

On Aug. 28, Demuth told the Reformer she was waiting to get a funnel cake from her favorite booth, Auntie M’s, which happens to be based in Paynesville — her district. She finally indulged on Sept. 1. 

Demuth has spent hours in front of her campaign booth — across the street from the Ball Park Cafe’s garlic fries — assuring supporters waiting in line to see her that she will bring “common sense” back to Minnesota. Her running mate, Ryan Wilson, echoed her sentiments while several times offering to take photos of Demuth with the people lined up to meet her.

Demuth greeted and took selfies with people wearing “Trump 2028” hats and nodded as people told her they were tired of Minnesota being a nationwide news bite because of fraud.

One was Mike Oliver of Mankato, who said he’s tired of the lack of oversight in government programs.

“It’s not just the fraud. The excess spending, no accountability. There’s so many people that moved to Minnesota because of handouts,” he said.

Demuth said the state fair is different this year for her because she now has her own booth, and people are recognizing her and sharing their thoughts with her about how Minnesota is being run.

“The fair puts policy and politics into perspective if people want to have that conversation, and I think that’s a really good thing where it’s not all consuming. You can have these conversations and … go out and grab food or a ride,” Demuth said.

Klobuchar said people want to talk about her run for governor and her plans, but they also thank her for her office’s help getting a passport for a wedding or with adoption paperwork, for example.

“There are plenty of people that will bring things up that they’re worried about, and you talk to them about that. Then other people just want you to see their kid or their new baby,” Klobuchar said. “People know me, and I think trust me around here.”