Amy Klobuchar Wins Minnesota Governor, Who Replaces Her?

What the Election Results Show

Amy Klobuchar won the November 3, 2026 race for governor of Minnesota. According to Associated Press figures updated the evening of November 4, with about 98.8% of the expected vote counted, she had 1,569,098 votes (55.5%). Republican Lisa Demuth had 1,205,798 votes (42.6%). AP called the race for Klobuchar, and MPR News reported that she will be the first woman elected governor of Minnesota.

These numbers are preliminary. Minnesota’s county canvassing boards review returns first. The State Canvassing Board then meets on the 16th day after the general election to certify the statewide results (Minn. Stat. § 204C.33, subd. 3). For this election, that falls on November 19, 2026.

A second question follows the win. Klobuchar is a sitting U.S. senator. Her current term runs through January 3, 2031, so the moment she leaves the Senate to become governor, her seat is vacant and the law has a specific process for filling it.

Result status: The Associated Press has called the governor’s race for Amy Klobuchar. Results are preliminary until the Minnesota State Canvassing Board certifies them.

Quick Facts: Klobuchar’s Senate Seat After the Governor Win

Question	Short answer
Who won the Minnesota governor race?	Amy Klobuchar (DFL), called by the AP, over Republican Lisa Demuth.
Does Peggy Flanagan take Klobuchar’s seat?	No. Flanagan won Tina Smith’s separate seat.
Who appoints the temporary replacement?	Whichever governor is in office when the vacancy occurs.
Can Tim Walz appoint someone?	Yes, if Klobuchar leaves the Senate before she is sworn in as governor.
Can Klobuchar appoint her own replacement?	Yes, if she is already governor when the seat becomes vacant.
Must Walz make an appointment?	No. The statute says the governor “may.”
Does the Senate confirm the appointee?	No confirmation vote. The Senate does judge each member’s qualifications.
When is the special election?	Expected November 2, 2027, with a special primary on August 10, 2027, if the vacancy occurs by May 25, 2027.
How long does the winner serve?	The rest of Klobuchar’s term, which ends January 3, 2031.
Governing law	Minn. Stat. § 204D.28 and the Seventeenth Amendment.

Peggy Flanagan Does Not Take Klobuchar’s Seat

This is the most common mix-up in the coverage. Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, also won a U.S. Senate race on November 3. AP’s preliminary count had her at 1,520,300 votes (53.7%) to Republican Michele Tafoya’s 1,232,683 (43.6%).

But Flanagan did not run for Klobuchar’s seat. She won the regular election for the seat held by retiring Senator Tina Smith.

Minnesota has two Senate seats, and each belongs to a different “class” with its own staggered six-year term. The classes exist so that roughly one-third of the Senate is up for election every two years.

Seat	Current senator	What happened in 2026	Term end
Class 1	Amy Klobuchar	Won governor; expected to resign from the Senate	January 3, 2031
Class 2	Tina Smith (retiring)	Peggy Flanagan won the regular election	Smith’s term ends January 3, 2027. Flanagan’s new term runs to January 3, 2033.

So Minnesota will have two separate transitions. Flanagan takes Smith’s seat when the new Congress begins on January 3, 2027. Klobuchar’s vacancy is handled on its own track, through a temporary appointment followed by a special election.

One more detail for context: Klobuchar’s seat is the only Minnesota Senate seat that will be on the 2027 ballot. Flanagan’s seat is not up again until 2032.

Who Appoints Klobuchar’s Temporary Replacement?

The Seventeenth Amendment allows a state legislature to authorize its governor to make temporary Senate appointments until voters fill the seat by election. Minnesota has done exactly that. Minn. Stat. § 204D.28, subd. 11, says the governor may make a temporary appointment to fill any vacancy, and that the appointee holds office until a successor is elected and qualified at a special election.

The key point is that the power belongs to the governor in office when the vacancy happens. That makes the timing of Klobuchar’s resignation the most important open question.

If Klobuchar resigns before she is sworn in as governor

Tim Walz would still be governor. He could appoint a temporary senator himself. Walz did not seek a third term, and his term as governor ends when the new governor takes office. Minnesota’s new governor is expected to be inaugurated on Monday, January 4, 2027.

If Klobuchar resigns after she is sworn in

Klobuchar would be the sitting governor when the Senate seat opens. She could then choose the temporary senator herself, possibly as one of her first official acts.

Can Walz leave the seat empty?

Yes. The statute uses the word “may,” not “must.” Walz is not required to fill the seat before he leaves office. If he declines and Klobuchar resigns after taking office, the decision passes to her. Minnesota would have one senator in the meantime.

Can Walz appoint someone before the seat is vacant?

No. A governor can only fill a vacancy that exists. Walz could announce an intention or discuss candidates, but the appointment itself has to follow a real vacancy. That is another reason the resignation date matters.

Can a new governor undo an earlier appointment?

No, nothing in § 204D.28 gives an incoming governor the power to remove a senator the previous governor validly appointed. The appointee serves until a successor is elected and qualified. If Walz fills the seat before January 4, that appointment stands.

Does the appointee have to be a Democrat?

The statute does not require the appointee to share a party with the departing senator. The only legal limits are the federal qualifications for the office. In practice, party leaders, donors and public pressure will shape the choice, but the legal power belongs to the governor alone. There is no party veto and no formal confirmation step in Minnesota law.

As of November 4, 2026, no appointee has been announced, and neither Walz nor Klobuchar has said when she will resign. Any names circulating in the press are speculation, not decisions.

Who Can Be Appointed? Federal Qualifications

Article I, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution sets three requirements for a senator:

At least 30 years old.
A U.S. citizen for at least nine years.
An inhabitant of the state when elected. For an appointee, the practical test is residency in Minnesota at the time of appointment.

There is no Senate confirmation hearing for a gubernatorial appointee. Federal law directs the state’s executive to certify a senator’s election or appointment to the Senate (2 U.S.C. § 1a), and the appointee presents those credentials and takes the oath. Under Article I, Section 5, each chamber remains the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members, so the Senate keeps the final word on whether a person is qualified to be seated.

Amy Klobuchar Wins Minnesota Governor, Who Replaces Her in the U.S. Senate? Can Tim Walz Appoint Her Successor?

What the Seventeenth Amendment Requires

Before 1913, state legislatures chose U.S. senators. The Seventeenth Amendment moved that choice to voters. It also covers vacancies: the state’s executive must issue writs of election to fill a vacant seat, but the legislature may authorize the governor to appoint someone temporarily until the people vote.

Minnesota follows this two-step model. The governor can fill the seat quickly, but only for a while. Voters decide who serves out the rest of the term. Minnesota’s version differs slightly in one respect: § 204D.28, subd. 8, has the Secretary of State issue an official notice of the special election, and that notice takes the place of a governor’s writ.

When Is the Special Election?

Minnesota requires a special election to fill the remainder of an unexpired Senate term (§ 204D.28, subd. 6). The statute sets the timing with an 11-week rule:

If the vacancy occurs at least 11 weeks before the regular state primary preceding the next November election, the special election is held at that next November election.
If the vacancy occurs less than 11 weeks before that primary, the special election is held at the second November election after the vacancy.

The statute defines the terms to include odd-numbered years. The “November election” can be the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of an odd-numbered year, and the “regular state primary” can be a primary held on the second Tuesday in August of an odd-numbered year (subds. 4 and 5). That is why a 2027 special election is possible.

Expected schedule if Klobuchar leaves in January 2027

Step	Date
Klobuchar expected to take office as governor	January 4, 2027
Deadline for the Secretary of State’s special election notice (16 weeks before the primary)	April 20, 2027
Candidate filing opens (12 weeks before the primary, or the notice date if later)	May 18, 2027
Candidate filing closes (10 weeks before the primary)	June 1, 2027
Special primary	August 10, 2027
Special general election	November 2, 2027
Remainder of the term ends	January 3, 2031

These dates come from applying the statute to a January 2027 vacancy. The Secretary of State’s official notice will confirm them.

What if she resigns after May 25, 2027?

Eleven weeks before the August 10, 2027 primary is May 25, 2027. A vacancy after that date would push the special election to the second November election after the vacancy, which would be the general election on November 7, 2028.

There is also a statutory limit at the far end. No special election is held in the year before the term expires. For Klobuchar’s seat, that year is 2030. This is why the resignation date is a legal and political decision, not just a matter of scheduling.

How Long Does the Temporary Senator Serve?

Not until 2031. The appointee holds the seat until a successor is elected and qualified at the special election (subd. 11). The special election winner then serves the rest of Klobuchar’s term through January 3, 2031, and would have to run again in 2030 for a full six-year term.

The appointee is also free to run. Being appointed does not secure a party nomination. The DFL, the Republican Party and any other qualifying party will choose their candidates through their own endorsement and primary processes, and the appointee competes like anyone else.

Subdivision 12 adds one more rule worth knowing. If someone is elected to a regular six-year term for this same office while it is vacant or held by an appointee, that person also succeeds to the unexpired term. That provision would not apply to Flanagan, who won a different seat.

What Happens Next

Canvass and certification. County boards meet first, and the State Canvassing Board certifies the results on the 16th day after the election (November 19, 2026).
Klobuchar sets her resignation date. That choice decides whether Walz or Klobuchar holds the appointment power.
Temporary appointment. The governor in office when the vacancy occurs may appoint a senator, who serves until the special election winner qualifies.
Special election notice. The Secretary of State issues the official notice and sets the filing window and election dates.
Special primary and general election. Under the January 2027 scenario, August 10 and November 2, 2027.
New senator qualifies. The winner finishes the term through January 3, 2031.

Update note: This article will be updated when Klobuchar announces a resignation date, when a temporary appointee is named, or when the Secretary of State issues the special election notice.

Bottom Line

Amy Klobuchar’s election as governor creates a Senate vacancy, but Peggy Flanagan’s win does not fill it. Flanagan takes Tina Smith’s seat. For Klobuchar’s seat, the governor in office when the vacancy occurs may appoint a temporary senator. That could be Tim Walz or Klobuchar herself, depending on when she resigns. The appointee serves only until a special election, which is expected on November 2, 2027, and the winner finishes the term that ends in January 2031.

Sources and Legal Authorities

Election results and reporting

Minnesota law

Federal law

U.S. Constitution, Article I, Sections 3 and 5, and the Seventeenth Amendment
2 U.S.C. § 1a (certification of election or appointment of senators)
U.S. Senate: Class I Senators and Class II Senators
U.S. Senate: Vacancies

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, using Minnesota Statutes, the U.S. Constitution, official election returns and current Minnesota reporting.

All About Lawyer is an independent legal information website, not a law firm. This article is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Election results are preliminary until certified, and the dates above may change if the vacancy occurs on a different schedule.

About the Author

Israr Ahmad is a legal content researcher with 4+ years of experience covering class action settlements and consumer rights cases. He has researched and published coverage of 2,500+ settlements using verified court records, settlement administrator filings, and government sources. Learn more about Israr.

Amy Klobuchar Wins Minnesota Governor, Who Replaces Her in the U.S. Senate? Can Tim Walz Appoint Her Successor?