KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results

The latest KSTP/SurveyUSA Poll isn't great news for DFL Gov. Tim Walz. That's a bit disconcerting for a governor with a $7,700,000,000 (that's $7.7 billion) surplus. That's the biggest in state history. The chief takeaway of this article comes from Steven Schier, who said that "The governor is not close to 50% against any of the Republican candidates and so if the Republican Party can raise enough money and run a good campaign they have a serious chance of being highly competitive against the governor."

That's only part of the story. The other part of the story is that this is turning into a legitimate competition. The Jensen campaign just won the GOP Straw Poll. They get another boost from this poll. It'd be campaign malpractice if the Jensen campaign didn't fundraise off the fact that Jensen is the strongest competitor against Gov. Walz. According to the poll, Jensen trails Walz 43% to 40%.

Gov. Walz has 100% name recognition. Scott Jensen is just getting started. That gives Dr. Jensen room to grow. Gov. Walz doesn't have the same room to grow. This video shows why Gov. Walz doesn't have the same room to grow as Dr. Jensen:

Dr. Jensen's campaign website adds fuel to Dr. Jensen's campaign momentum:

Fellow Minnesotans, We have some serious issues to diagnose and treat if we want to be a state that truly thrives again. A pandemic ravaged our most vulnerable populations in congregative care and our Governor took no pinpointed actions to stop it. As our cities burned, our brave and capable State’s National Guard soldiers were forced to sit on the sidelines by our governor. As the science told us we could safely reopen small businesses and schools, our current administration sided against responsible business owners, parents, and children. Our kids were locked out their schools while children in our neighboring states and local private schools attended full time and in person. Within Minneapolis public schools our inequities have grown deeper.

But our diagnosis is far from hopeless. My vision is not just of a return to normal for Minnesota, but of leadership that trusts and respects the people. We can have real science guiding the decisions we make. We can trust parents and students to do what’s right for them and their unique situation and not be given one size fits all solutions by lifelong bureaucrats. We can cherish our small businesses, restaurants, and employers – not take them for granted. We cannot make policy using speculative models that aren’t peer reviewed and measured and updated with facts as time progresses. Our great State has suffered under unilateral control, partisan bickering, and political brinksmanship by the parties and politicians. Given our history and resources I truly believe Minnesota can be a beacon rather than a laggard in recovery and healing. We need a new vision, a new prescription. That is why I am running for Governor. It’s time for a new direction in Minnesota.

If Republicans pick Dr. Jensen, the question facing Minnesotans is whether they prefer staying the course with Gov. Walz or whether they'd prefer changing leadership directions. Right now, people are tired of COVID and they're tired of being told 'You can't do this' or 'You must do that'. That's why this feels like a change election.