CHASKA, Minn. — The anti-vaxer physician Scott Jensen is running again for governor. He announced his bid for the Republican nomination in a video with an attack on incumbent Tim Walz:, “Two decades of liberal policies have made Minnesota too expensive, too dangerous and thrown our culture out of whack.” He blamed Walz, a Democrat, who he said has “made it worse.” Jensen, age 70, lost a 2022 campaign to Walz by nearly eight points, 52% to 44%. Democrats made an issue of Jensen’s position against mask mandates during the CoVid pandemic and doubts about vaccines. Since then Jensen has acknowledged “unforced errors” in the 2022 campaign. He promised to be a more disciplined candidate this time. If elected, Jensen said, he would “govern with transparency, integrity and relentless optimism.” He said he would listen to Minnesotans, not special interests. “It’s time to heal our divisions, protect our rural heritage, and revitalize our cities,” he said.
Campaign video. Hitting road early. The election is 17 months off.
GOP field
Jensen joins Kendall Qualls for the 2026 GOP race for governor. Qualls is an Army veteran and former health care executive. He narrowly lost the party’s 2022 endorsement to Jensen. Also on political observers’ GOP short lists: State Representative Kristin Robbins, from the northwest urban District 37-A since 2019, and lawyer Chris Madel, a high-profile litigator.