Power Rankings: 2026 MNGOP gubernatorial candidates

Of the 13 (14? 15?) individuals who are seeking to be the GOP nominee for Minnesota governor, the top seven candidates (as determined by straw poll results at a meeting of State Central delegates) squared off in a candidate forum Tuesday night.

My evening started by co-hosting with my Northern Alliance Radio Network colleague Mitch Berg a 2-hour broadcast live from the venue in St. Michael. As the show concluded at 6:59, Mitch put on his moderator hat (and, of course, did a phenomenal job) and proceeded to throw questions at each of the candidates. Said candidates were then selected in random as to whom would answer each question when.

Anyhow, after indulging in the 90-minute forum, I've decided to put forth my own personal "power rankings" via tiers. Not sure how often I'll do this, but here's where I stand as of now. 

Formidable: Lisa Demuth, Chris Madel and Kristin Robbins. 

Better than average: Kendall Qualls.

Too dorky and too tied to Trump to win statewide: Mike Lindell.

Hostile pricks: Scott Jensen and Phil Parrish. 

With Demuth and Robbins both being MN House members, it's clear they're trying to draw distinctions from each other despite having the same voting record. But since Demuth was House Speaker in last year's session, she has a bigger target on her back given she had to make concessions with a Dem governor and Senate DFL Majority Leader to avoid a government shutdown in a budget year. As such, Robbins takes every opportunity to point out that, in her view, Demuth caved to Gov. Tim Walz. 

Madel's stock elevated in my view, as he (not Kendall Qualls) is the true outsider. He didn't call out candidates by name, but it was clear he was going with a very "tough love" approach regarding those who have actually been elected to office. It's easy to see why he's been a successful defense attorney because he is excellent in his power of persuasion. 

Jensen has been a non-starter for me since he entered this race. This is simply because I firmly believe we ought not be re-nominating candidates who lost a winnable general election race for the same office the previous cycle. But the main reason he's in the bottom tier of "hostile pricks" is because he had this air of entitlement as if he's being inconvenienced by other candidates daring to step up for this office. He also interrupted the moderator at one point (when it wasn't even his turn to speak) just so he could take a rhetorical shot at Speaker Demuth. 

I guess you could say the '26 election campaign are officially in full swing. 

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