Amy Klobuchar elected Minnesota’s first woman governor, CBS News projects

Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar will become the first woman to serve as Minnesota governor after defeating Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, CBS News projects.

Klobuchar will succeed Gov. Tim Walz, the two-term Democrat and former vice presidential candidate. Walz faced accusations of fraud in state programs, which his office said he was working to combat. He announced in January he would not seek an unprecedented third term, and Klobuchar entered the race after his announcement.

Klobuchar was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. She has won each Senate race by double digits, though her margin narrowed from 35 points in 2012 to 24 points in 2018 and 16 points in 2024. She also briefly ran for president in 2020, suspending her campaign the day before Super Tuesday.

Klobuchar has said her priority is lowering costs for Minnesotans, including health care, child care and housing.

She chose Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer as her running mate for lieutenant governor.