Scott Jensen drops out of Minnesota governor's race, will run for state auditor

[question everything]

Scott Jensen says he is pivoting his aspirations for statewide office, dropping out of the Minnesota governor's race and instead launching his campaign for state auditor.

"Over the last two months, we have seen heartbreaking and dramatic changes in the everyday landscape of Minnesota life. And our state's problems cannot be fixed by simply replacing a leader. Our biggest problem right now is broken trust, and we all have an obligation to try and fix it," he said.

Jensen was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2022, but lost to Gov. Tim Walz by more than 192,000 votes.

Seeking a rematch, Jensen announced another run for governor last summer, becoming one of a dozen Republican hopefuls.

Since then the list has started to dwindle as Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, businessman Kendall Qualls and MyPillow mogul Mike Lindell emerge as the top candidates, according to party polling.

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/scott-jensen-minnesota-governor-state-auditor/

[blm]

1. Repubs are using State Auditor office in swing states to take control of elections

See recent GOP moves in North Carolina. They are also using that office to target Dem officeholders with manufactured investigations.

[dflprincess]

2. In Minnesota the State Auditor does not have anything to do with elections

the Secretary of State's office handles them.

https://www.osa.state.mn.us/training-guidance/guidance/frequently-asked-questions-articles/does-the-office-of-the-state-auditor-review-election-concerns-regarding-ballots-and-voting/

[blm]

3. Same in NC til GOP leg stripped that power from Dem SoS and transferred

it to the State Auditor.