2022 is a big year for Minnesota politics. The election season is in its peak right now with the governor up for election and all other constitutional statewide positions. The Republican candidate for governor is Scott Jensen who is attempting to be the first Republican governor of Minnesota since 2007. Scott Jensen was born and raised Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. He gained his medical degree from the University of Minnesota and began to practice family medicine in Watertown, MN.  Jensen’s political career kicked off in the 2016 elections when he gained a seat on the Minnesota state senate. Jensen served on the senate up until 2021 for the Carver County district located on the outskirts of Minneapolis. Being a University of Minnesota graduate and a Minneapolis senator, Jensen’s view are centered around the issues in Minneapolis. The big ticket objective of Jensen’s campaign is to tackle the crime rates in Minneapolis. Jensen looks back to the 2020 riots with distain. Jensen’s views on the riots are sympathetic to the victims of the riots due to Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota at the time, poor response.

Jensen ridicules Walz disappearance during the riots and the failure to call in the national guard to protect the citizens of Minneapolis. During 2021 Minneapolis broke a 20 year old record for homicides. Jensen’s team wants to make the safety of Minnesota’s urban areas a top priority by cracking down on the senseless shootings that occur in the Minneapolis area. With Scott Jensen as governor of Minnesota we could see a great focus on the Minneapolis area especially the safety of its citizens. In addition to his concerns about Minneapolis crime, Jensen is also concerned about public education. Jensen’s approach to making good education affordable is centered around the student and not the organization. Jensen wants to help students financially so they can explore all of their options for education.

On the other side of the coin the Democratic favorite for the Governors race is Tim Walz. Tim Walz was born in West Point, Nebraska. After high school Walz became a teacher on a reservation in North Dakota. After his time teaching, Walz join the Army as a member of the Nation Guard. Walz later graduated from Chadrom State College and Minnesota State University, Mankato.

After graduating, Walz moved to Minnesota where he continued to serve for the National Guard and teach social studies for the Mankato school district. Walz political career kicked off in 2006 when he secured the position of U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 1st congressional district. Minnesota’s 1st congressional district is primarily a rural district spanning across the southern part of Minnesota. Walz served as a U.S. representative from 2007 to 2019. In 2018 Walz was elected as governor of Minnesota, a position he currently holds and is fighting to maintain for a second term. Walz’s first term as governor has been marked by the George Floyd riots and the Covid-19 pandemic. His 2022 campaign is built around a focus on racial equality and access to healthcare. Wlaz plans for his second term have little mention of Minneapolis specifically, but of Minnesota as a whole. Walz plans to provide relief checks to Minnesota citizens and tax breaks to middle class citizens and Minnesotan businesses. With Walz as governor we could see much of the same tactics as his first term.

The governors’ race is near its peak with election day arriving on November 8. University of Minnesota students are urged to research the candidates and vote for issues that are most important to them. A University of Minnesota student, JB Burbach, is worried about safety on campus. He said “I want a candidate who is going to prioritize public safety, specifically around campus in places like Dinkytown.” Get out and vote!