A chat with US Senator and Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Amy Klobuchar

By Bryce Vincent Haugen

By all accounts, Democratic-Farmer-Labor U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar — first elected in 2006 — is the most popular active politician in Minnesota, whether she’s judged by polling or by her four electoral landslides. When two term Minnesota Governor Tim Walz decided to step away from his bid for a third term, Klobuchar quickly announced her gubernatorial candidacy, clearing what otherwise might have been a wide-open DFL field. She earned the endorsement at the party’s state convention in Rochester the last weekend of May, but faces nominal opposition in the August 11 primary from activist and University of Minnesota Master of Public Policy graduate Kobey Layne, a former Republican.

Right before the convention, Klobuchar announced her choice for lieutenant governor: Former Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer. Until the nod, Schierer had been one of four DFLers vying for the open state auditor position. If the ticket wins, he’ll be the first person elected to statewide office from the 7th Congressional District in a half century.

The consensus of political observers is that Klobuchar should have no difficulty against any of the Republican candidates in the November election. The Cook Political Report has designated the race “Solid Democrat.” Republicans, the report says, do not have “a viable path to victory.”

The High Plains Reader caught up with Klobuchar as she was (as she often is) zipping down a rural Minnesota highway between small town stops. She talked about her vision for the state, the importance of pragmatism and her lack of presidential ambitions.

High Plains Reader: After nearly 20 years in the Senate, why have you chosen to run for governor and what are your top agenda items if you win in November?

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: Well I think, especially in the Moorhead area, everyone knows I love my job in the Senate. I’ve been able to deliver a bunch of things up there from a rail overpass to the major diversion project to helping with a lot of great things with our ag community. But I love our state more.

And so, my decision was really based on what had happened leading up to this year, from the assassination of Melissa Hortman (Minnesota House Speaker emerita) to the kids getting gunned down in Annunciation Church in their first week of school, to ICE and the tragic, tragic shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. I just want to get Minnesota in a better place and to me, that means standing up for what’s right, not being a rubber stamp of Donald Trump that we don’t need right now, but also fixing what’s wrong.

And I have a history when it comes to the fraud issue, which is major. I ran the biggest prosecutor’s office in Minnesota for eight years before I went to the Senate.

I was also in the private sector for a number of years and had a focus on technology companies, and I believe that I can bring that kind of experience and ideas…to get us to a better place and really modernize our government.

HPR: As senator, you’ve made substantive visits to all 87 counties each year. Why is that important to you and will that continue as governor?

AK: Sure. I mean, in fact, I’m talking to you from Willmar on my way to Litchfield, just to bring home the point. I think that you’ve gotta be willing to go not just where it’s comfortable, but where it’s uncomfortable, where not everyone agrees with you. And that’s the only way you’re gonna get things done and bring people with you.

One of my favorite visits, years and years ago, up in your area, was near the Canadian border and we had visited most of the businesses in the county, so they found this new business called “We Kill Bedbugs With Heat.” And I just think we need a lot of new ideas in our state, and especially when I look at Moorhead, this mix of ag and manufacturing and excitement with what’s going on downtown. I just think there’s a lot of room for growth as well.

It’s not one size fits all when it comes to rural and I have a good sense of that for having represented the state for so long.

HPR: What do you say to members of your own party who believe you aren’t liberal enough? Or is that moderate nature the secret to your widespread popularity?

AK: Well, I’m just interested in getting things done and I’ve been willing to work with everyone to do that. And I’ve been a fighter.

I’ve taken on pharmaceutical companies. I’ve taken on Ticketmaster. I’ve been an expert on antitrust and on moving on things like corporate consolidation. But at the same time, I think you’ve got to be really pragmatic so you can get things done.

That’s why I’ve been, for several congresses, number one for bipartisan bills. I was number three for getting bills passed into law. (Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck) Grassley beat me, but he’s 90 years old. And so, I just believe in trying to get things done. Right now, with things like housing and trying to break down some of this red tape and rules to make it easier to get things done faster, make it easier to start a business.

The Fargo-Moorhead area gets it when it comes to technology. And I think we’ve got to make sure that not only do we get broadband to those last 120,000 households — to every corner of the state — but we also have to make sure we’re using modern technology in government, because we’ve got literally computer systems that are 40 years old with black screens and flashing cursors like back when they played Oregon Trail.

HPR: Why is it important to keep Republicans from capturing the governor’s mansion?

AK: I just think we don’t want a rubber stamp of Donald Trump. I have serious problems with things like the endless war and the gas prices and tariffs. You want a voice that’s saying “We want to change these tariffs because it would be good for Minnesota, good for trade, good for farmers.”

That’s one of the reasons I brought Sean Syverson from (Moorhead’s) Swing Barrel Brewery as my guest to the State of the Union. And not only was he my guest there, he also came down to St. Paul when I announced my government reform plans and the 40 new ideas. I think we’ve got to bring in some new ideas and make it very clear that ideas come from all over the state and that kind of excitement’s important.

But if we just are going backwards and we have someone in there that’s a rubber stamp of Donald Trump, I don’t think that’s where Minnesota is right now. And finally, I’m someone that has proven I can work with people like (Texas Republican Sen.) Ted Cruz. I don’t think we want any more of these mean tweets, angry rhetoric from Trump and company.

HPR: Will you miss the Senate and what do you hope your senatorial legacy will be?

AK: Yeah, I’m going to miss the Senate because we get to work on … especially some of the world affairs. You know, I got to hang with the King. Okay, that was cool. But even to think about that and think about my legacy is not what’s on my mind right now.

To even get to this job, I’ve got to earn the trust of the people of Minnesota in some really difficult times. And that’s why I’m going around the state and making the case of how we can have a government that can carry its weight and match the drive and ambition of the people of Minnesota.

HPR: One final question — and you’re probably going to groan. But do you have any desire to run for president again?

AK: No. Because if I was doing that, I wouldn’t be doing this. So I’m doing this because I love my state.