Stanek, Hepola End Minnesota Governor Campaigns; Primary Slates Set

MINNESOTA — The once-crowded field of candidates running for the chance to face off against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in the 2022 general election is becoming much clearer, after several candidates recently ended their campaigns for the office.

Former Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said Tuesday that he will not challenge former state Sen. Scott Jensen, who earned the Republican Party’s endorsement to run against Walz, Bring Me The News reports.

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Stanek, of Maple Grove, did not seek the GOP’s endorsement at the party’s convention in mid-May and did not file signatures by Tuesday to run for the office.

The four other GOP candidates who sought the endorsement pledged they would not run in the Aug. 9 primary if they were not endorsed, MinnPost reported.

Stanek launched his gubernatorial bid in February. He served as Hennepin County sheriff from 2007 to 2019, after losing his 2018 re-election bid to current Sheriff Dave Hutchinson.

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Gov. Walz and Jensen highlighted the Minnesota Secretary of State's list of candidates who filed enough signatures by Tuesday to run for governor.

Walz is seeking re-election alongside Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, while Jensen has chosen former Minnesota Vikings player Matt Birk as his running mate.

Ole Savior and Julia M. Parker filed to run against Walz and Flanagan in the Aug. 9 DFL primary, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office.

Jensen and Birk will face competition in the Republican Party primary from several other candidates, including Captain Jack Sparrow.

Joyce Lacey and Kent Edwards filed to run together, while Bob "Again" Carney Jr. listed Captain Jack Sparrow as his running mate, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office.

Steve Patterson and Matt Huff are running for the Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis party's nomination for governor against Darrell Paulsen and Ed Engelmann, while James McCaskel and David Sandbeck face competition from Chris Wright and L.C. Lawrence Converse for the Legal Marijuana Now party's nomination.

Former WCCO host Cory Hepola was not among the candidates who filed, and he announced the end of his third-party campaign for the office on Tuesday.

Hepola was running as a candidate with the Forward Party, created by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Minnesota was the first state with its own Forward Party chapter, the Star Tribune reports.

Hugh McTavish, an Independence Party candidate for governor, did not collect enough signatures to run for office, the report states.

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