4 things to watch at Minnesota's high-stakes political conventions

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota Democrats and Republicans will gather in Rochester and Duluth this weekend for endorsing conventions that could shape the state's political landscape heading into the midterm election.

DFL activists are expected to rally behind Amy Klobuchar for governor and Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate, as well as endorse candidates for other statewide offices.

In Duluth, Republicans face crowded endorsement fights for governor and U.S. Senate that will test whether GOP activists favor pragmatists focused on electability or more confrontational conservatives eager to energize the base.

Several major questions loom over the two conventions, including whether Klobuchar will announce her running mate and whether endorsed candidates will have a clear advantage heading into August primary battles.

Here are four things to watch at the two political conventions.

Klobuchar has a clear path to the DFL nomination for governor with no prominent primary challengers. She still could face some resistance at the convention from progressive delegates who want to shape her positions on certain issues, but she is expected to easily win the endorsement on Friday.

Party activists and observers are waiting to see if Klobuchar will announce her running mate at the convention. She must name a lieutenant governor before the candidate filing period closes on Tuesday.

One name has consistently surfaced in conversations with DFLers: Thom Petersen, who has served as the state's agriculture commissioner since 2019 and has greater Minnesota roots. Klobuchar and Petersen are close and have known each other for many years.

"I have been honored to be considered. But focused on my job as Commissioner of Agriculture," Petersen told the Minnesota Star Tribune in a text message Thursday.

Another name floated by DFL insiders is Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski.

In a recent interview, Kozlowski acknowledged the chatter about him but said he had not had conversations with Klobuchar about being her running mate.

"Of course I would be honored if she chose me to run with her," Kozlowski said. "I think she's going to be a great governor of Minnesota."

However, Klobuchar could end up picking someone else entirely.

Flanagan is expected to easily secure the DFL endorsement for U.S. Senate on Saturday after her opponent, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, announced she would skip the state convention.

Craig's announcement came as Flanagan's campaign claimed to have secured the backing of 75% of the delegates who decide the party's endorsement. The DFL endorsement is expected to give Flanagan a boost against the more well-funded Craig heading into their August primary election showdown.

But Craig has been planning from the start to move on to the primary. The Second District congresswoman faced headwinds with party delegates over her vote for the Laken Riley Act, which allows federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants arrested for certain nonviolent crimes.

"I knew that my path to being on the ballot in November was not through the endorsement process, it was through the primary process," Craig said Wednesday.

Craig has a history of winning tough races and the broader primary electorate historically trends more moderate than delegates at the convention.

Democratic primary voters have often disregarded the endorsement that's made by a few thousand party insiders. Tim Walz lost the DFL endorsement for governor to Sen. Erin Murphy in 2018 but won the primary. In 2010, Mark Dayton skipped the endorsement process but went on to win the governor's office.

Flanagan's campaign has remained confident in her momentum.

"Peggy not only dominated the endorsement process, but is also leading Congresswoman Craig by double digits in multiple recent public polls of the race. It's clear that Peggy Flanagan is the consensus candidate," spokesperson Lexi Byler said in a statement.

In the GOP race for governor, retired health care executive Kendall Qualls has pitched himself as a political outsider who can bring fresh eyes to longstanding problems. House Speaker Lisa Demuth says her government experience negotiating tough budget deals while cutting taxes and securing other GOP priorities gives her the track record to take on the DFL.

There is not a major gap between the two Republican frontrunners on policy, so party activists may decide which style and background best suits the GOP base when endorsing a candidate.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is also in the governor's race and has pitched himself as a true outsider, though he has staked his claim in part on his relationship with President Donald Trump and his debunked claims of a stolen 2020 election. Many Republicans believe that wouldn't suit him well in a general election, though it endears Lindell to some in the Republican base.

None of the Republican candidates in a crowded field for U.S. Senate has served in elected office, but there is also a debate over electability. Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya has the backing of some powerful national GOP groups to help her raise money, she has wide name recognition from her time on television and radio, and some of her more moderate positions on issues like abortion could appeal to independent and swing voters in Minnesota.

Ex-Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze has generated momentum within the Republican base, saying the party doesn't have to sacrifice its values to win and argues he would be a more uncompromising conservative who has closely aligned himself with Trump.

Former NBA player Royce White, who lost a 2024 Senate race to Klobuchar, is running again with a more extreme platform that includes arguing Trump should stay in office after 2028. He says the U.S. needs a more radical candidate for more radical times, though his campaign has faced doubters after his failed run in 2024 and new allegations of domestic abuse that he denies.

Lake Wilson farmer Mark York and former Navy submarine veteran Tom Weiler are also running and hope that they can make a surprise surge at the convention.

The Republican convention this weekend might decide the GOP nominees for governor and U.S. Senate, but it might not. Two notable candidates - Tafoya and Lindell - say they won't drop from the race if they're not endorsed. That's unusual in a party where most candidates abide by the endorsement. GOP primary voters also typically follow the endorsement, making candidates think twice about making a primary run.

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty ran a primary campaign in 2018 against endorsed candidate Jeff Johnson and lost by a wide margin.

Still, Tafoya's campaign says she is doing more than Pawlenty to gain support from the party's grassroots that will help her even in a contested primary.

Some Republicans are questioning the value of the party endorsement, saying the few thousand party activists who pick a candidate are more extreme than a wider electorate. Tafoya, who has staked out some positions that are more moderate than other Senate candidates, is betting on the idea that more voters will help her campaign.

Lindell is not running as a moderate, and many in the GOP establishment are wary of his chances in a general election. But he has wide name recognition with the party base and he hopes that will power him to victory.

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 9:36 AM.