Scott Jensen, the Minnesota gubernatorial nominee who lost the 2022 election to incumbent Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, announced Thursday he will run for the office again.

The Republican launched his 2026 campaign with the slogan, "We want our Minnesota back."

"We remember the days when our communities were safe, our schools were strong, and our leaders put people—not politics—first," Jensen said. "That's the Minnesota we're going to fight to bring back."  

Jensen and running mate Matt Birk, a former Minnesota Viking, lost to Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan by nearly 8 percentage points in 2022. 

In that campaign, the Republicans made key the issues of abortion, Walz's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Feeding Our Future fraud. Then-former President Donald Trump endorsed Jensen, though his campaign said he did not actively seek Trump's approval. Walz, meanwhile, earned the endorsements of former President Barack Obama and ex-Gov. Jesse Ventura.

Walz and Flanagan finished with 52.27% of the vote, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State, while Jensen and Birk earned 44.61% — a margin of more than 192,000 votes.

Jensen, a doctor and former state senator, alleged in a lawsuit the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice illegally investigated him due to his COVID-19 views. The lawsuit was dismissed in federal court earlier this year, and Jensen has appealed.

Walz, who unsuccessfully ran on the Democratic presidential ticket in 2024 with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, has not announced his intentions for the 2026 race for governor. Flanagan formally announced earlier this year she will run for the U.S. Senate next year.

• Minnesota