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The Republican and Democratic candidates vying to replace Minnesota’ s outgoing governor Tim Walz sparred in their final debate Wednesday over the massive fraud scandal that has unfolded in the state, health care and rising gas prices.
MASSIVE FRAUD SCANDAL
“A vote for Amy Klobuchar is a vote for a Tim Walz third term,” Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth said in her opening statement after painting Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar as the “status quo” candidate in a “state in crisis” over the $ 9 billion fraud scandal.
Klobuchar pushed back in her opening statement, saying, “I don’t like the status quo. I hate the status quo.”
WALZ’S ‘EXIT INTERVIEW’ REFLECTING ON HIS TENURE SPARKS LAWMAKER DEBATE ABOUT HIS LEGACY: ‘NEVER SERIOUS’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announces that he would not be seeking reelection Monday, January 5, 2026, at a press conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn. Walz said that he “came to the conclusion that I canât give a political campaign my all.” The governor took no questions from reporters at the event. The governorâs announcement comes as Minnesota is confronting one of the largest social services fraud scandals in its history. Federal prosecutors have documented hundreds of millions of dollarsâ worth of fraud in state autism services, housing and meals programs, among others. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
The first question of the debate focused on fraud, a recurring topic throughout the night, and what each candidate would do to combat it.
“Fraud unchecked here in the state of Minnesota has gone far too long, and it has finally come to the surface,” Demuth said. “The thing that I will do on day one is I am going to be firing all commissioners, choosing new commissioners that are expert in their field, that will carry out the accountability and transparency that is needed in our state. We have to change the culture of fraud.”
Klobuchar attempted to distance herself from Walz when addressing the issue.
“The fraud is simply unacceptable and as a former prosecutor, I’m going to send those fraudsters to jail,” Klobuchar said. “Tim Walz should have caught the fraud earlier and he should have done more. He said it himself. And by the way, when my opponent references Tim Walz, I will say one thing. He is not seeking a third term. I am the one up here.”
Fraud came up again later in the debate, with Demuth criticizing Klobuchar’s close relationship with Walz.
“You have not heard my opponent differ from one policy bill that Tim Walz, who she calls an incredible governor, has allowed to go forward,” Demuth said. “I would love to hear one bill, one area, child care, fraudulent funding. I would love to hear that. If she is separating herself specifically from Tim Walz, Tim Walz allowed the child care fraud and other fraud here in the state of Minnesota to explode to $9 billion, never firing any of his commissioners or agency employees. But yet you have someone standing here tonight that is supporting everything from the incredible governor, as she has said he is.”
Klobuchar responded, “Rewind the tape on this debate please; you will see exactly how I said I differed from Tim Walz.”
RISING GAS PRICES
In another tense moment, the candidates turned to rising gas prices, with Klobuchar attempting to link Demuth to the policies of the Trump administration.
“I can tell you the fastest way to bring down your gas prices, and that is to stop this War in Iran,” Klobuchar said. “That is it, beginning, middle and end. And when you look at what my opponent brings up, when we had a debate earlier this week, she actually brought up and blamed it on the Keystone pipeline. Then she blamed the health care costs on Barack Obama. I don’t know what will be next. Maybe Thomas Jefferson, but what I know is that Minnesotans understand what’s happened at the pump.”
EXPLOSIVE SLEEPER ISSUE COULD FUEL MIDTERM SHAKEUPS, TOP REPUBLICAN PREDICTS: âYOUâRE GONNA SEE SURPRISESâ
Lisa Demuth and Amy Klobuchar faced off in their first debate on Oct. 19. (REUTERS/Tim Evans ; Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Demuth blamed high costs in Minnesota on the Minnesota DemocraticâFarmerâLabor Party’s (DFL) control of state government.
“We can talk about that Keystone pipeline that my opponent has voted against. That would have brought in 830,000 barrels of oil. It would have helped with the supply that we have here, yet she voted against it,” Demuth said. “But you have to ask yourself, why are things so expensive here in Minnesota? They are expensive because of overspending by a one party control in 2023 and 2024, I will bring down prices. I will right-size our state budget and make sure that you can afford your lives, that you can grow, thrive, and businesses will be coming to Minnesota to provide the jobs that are needed. It’s common sense, and that’s the decision that you have to make as you’re looking to this election this year.”
HEALTH CARE COSTS AND INSULIN PRICES
As Minnesotans continue to grapple with rising health care costs, the two candidates sparred over ObamaCare, which Klobuchar voted for in the U.S. Senate.
“It’s important to realize that we’re looking at all of the inputs and all of the reasons why our health care is more expensive,” Demuth said. “Senator Klobuchar supported the Affordable Care Act. She promised that it would bring down our health care. Unfortunately, we have seen anything but all of our health care since the Affordable Care Act has increased the health care cost to all Minnesotans.”
Klobuchar didn’t address ObamaCare in her response, instead pointing to Demuth’s position on abortion and accusing the Republican of being beholden to Big Pharma.
“You’ve heard from my opponent that, I don’t support certain things in health care, she’s talking about issues that are already settled,” Demuth said. “I think it’s quite rich to hear the fact that she is the one that broke the health care system as the deciding vote on the Affordable Care Act.”
During the health care discussion, Klobuchar argued that Demuth has not done enough to lower insulin prices and cited the support she has received from the family of Alex Smith, a 26-year-old Minnesotan who died while struggling to afford his insulin treatments.
“Just to clarify a very incorrect or untruthful lie that you just heard was the fact that I did vote yes for the Alex Smith insulin bill,” Demuth responded. “Back in April of 2020. The governor signed it into law the very next day.”
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The sun shines on the Minnesota State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in St. Paul, on the opening day of the 2024 session of the Minnesota Legislature. Lawmakers have a relatively modest agenda ahead after a momentous 2023 session that saw Democrats use their newfound full control of the statehouse to enact an ambitious list of their priorities. (Steve Karnowski/Associated Press)
Klobuchar, who was first elected to the Senate in 2006, won all four of her Senate elections by healthy margins, including her 2024 reelection by nearly 16 points. Before serving in the Senate, Klobuchar was elected twice as county attorney in Hennepin County, Minnesota’s most populous. She also ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Demuth, who was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2018, has served as GOP leader in the chamber since the start of 2023 and as speaker for the past year and a half.
