Sen. Klobuchar projected winner of DFL primary in Minnesota governor’s race

CBS News projects Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the heavy favorite, will win the Democratic primary in Minnesota’s gubernatorial race and will face the Republican challenger in November.

With 4% of the votes tallied, Klobuchar has earned just over 89% of the vote. Six other Democratic candidates were on the ballot.

The Minnesota DFL endorsed Klobuchar and her running mate, former Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer, in May. She rode an early lead in both polling and fundraising to the primary win.

In an effort to distinguish herself from outgoing Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, Klobuchar has made addressing fraud in the state a central focus of her campaign. Walz bowed out of a run for a third term in January amid repeated attacks from Republicans at the state and federal level over Minnesota’s fraud crisis.

Klobuchar has a formidable record in statewide races, having won each of her four Senate elections by double-digit margins. Minnesota has not elected a Republican governor since Tim Pawlenty in 2006.

The winner of the Republican primary has not yet been determined.

If Klobuchar wins the general election, she will need to resign her Senate seat, which would then be temporarily filled by an appointee of the governor, with a special election to follow.

See full results for the Minnesota primary on WCCO’s results page.