ALBERT LEA, Minn. — A long-shot Republican candidate for governor, Peggy Bennett, has quit the race. She was among several hopefuls who lost the GOP endorsement for governor at the party’s state convention over the weekend in Duluth. She had been expected, however, to proceed to file her candidacy as an unendorsed candidate. The filing deadline was 5 p.m. on Tuesday. She missed eh deadline. In announcing Thursdaybthat she was shutting down her campaign, Bennett said her choice for lieutenant governor had texted her about 1 p.m. on Tuesday that he was backing out . That was only four hours before the statewide filing deadline. The time to regroup was impossibly short, Bennett said. She had never identified her choice as a running mate and continued to shield his identity She said he explained in his Tuesday text hat he was exploring a job out of state.
Bennett. A first-grade teacher 30 years in Albert Lea.. Age 67.
Verbatim
Bennett: “I was under the impression that he was ready to go. It is with great sadness and heartbreak that I announce that I am unable to move forward as a candidate for governor,. My 2026 campaign has ended. This is not by my choice.”