Klobuchar picks former Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer as running mate

Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Friday announced former Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer will be her running mate in her bid for Minnesota governor.

Schierer, who is relatively unknown in Minnesota statewide politics, had been running for Minnesota state auditor. Schierer was first elected Fergus Falls mayor in 2016 and served two terms.

Klobuchar’s choice of a running mate from greater Minnesota indicates she intends to campaign and govern similarly to her two-decade U.S. Senate tenure — appealing outside the urban, progressive Democratic base to more moderate, outstate and suburban voters.

“(Schierer) knows what it takes to hammer out results by bringing together the private sector, the public sector and the people – because that’s what he did as mayor,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “And he knows that transforming our government can’t happen without economic growth. Together, we will bring that approach to our state government.”

Klobuchar’s Friday announcement comes hours before she takes the stage in Rochester at the Democratic-Farmer-Labor convention, where she hopes to win over enough of the progressive base to win the party’s endorsement ahead of the August primary.

Schierer is a former small business owner who ran a cafe and a pizzeria in Fergus Falls, about 190 miles northwest of St. Paul. He also recently co-wrote a book with Star Tribune columnist Lori Sturdevant about former Minnesota Gov. Rudy Perpich, a beloved Iron Ranger.

Klobuchar’s campaign said Schierer will help deliver on the senior senator’s plan to “transform state government, expand Minnesota’s economy and create good jobs across the state.”

“As a former mayor devoted to rural economic development, I know how important it is to elect a governor who will focus on expanding our economy and creating good jobs for Minnesotans across this state,” Schierer said. “Amy Klobuchar gets it — she shows up time and time again, in all 87 counties — and I am ready to partner with her to get things done for our families, our communities and our state.”