Who is Amy Klobuchar, the Democrat Senator seeking to succeed Tim Walz as Minnesota Governor

Amy Klobuchar, a long-serving US senator and one of the Democratic Party’s most recognisable leaders, has entered the race for governor of Minnesota, setting up a high-profile contest in a state shaken by political, social and law-and-order challenges.

Klobuchar, 65, is running to stand up to President Donald Trump, push back against his administration’s immigration crackdown. Her entry gives Democrats a proven statewide winner as they try to retain the governor’s office after Governor Tim Walz withdrew from seeking a third term.

She was Minnesota’s first elected female US senator and has won every statewide race she has entered by comfortable margins. In her 2024 re-election, she outperformed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris by a wide margin in the state.

She served as Hennepin County attorney from 1999 to 2007

Ran one of the largest prosecutor’s offices in the Midwest

Built a reputation as tough on crime, while also backing victim protection and public safety reforms

That law-and-order background is now central to her pitch as governor, as Minnesota debates crime, policing and federal immigration enforcement.

As chair of the Senate Rules Committee, she helped lead inquiries into security failures at the Capitol and pushed reforms to election laws and democratic safeguards.

She has been among the most vocal Democratic critics of Trump, especially on immigration, civil liberties and federal law-enforcement tactics — issues now central to the Minnesota governor’s race.

She performed strongly in early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire

Later dropped out and endorsed Joe Biden

Was considered for a Cabinet role and briefly vetted as a possible vice-presidential pick

Though she did not win the nomination, the campaign boosted her national standing.

If elected, Klobuchar would leave the Senate after nearly two decades to lead the state she has represented throughout her political career.