Amy Klobuchar’s Senate Exit: List of Democrats Most Likely to Replace Her

Newsweek · Anna Skinner · 2026-11-05 23:46 UTC

Under Minnesota law, a U.S. Senate vacancy is filled by gubernatorial appointment, so the decision could fall to Klobuchar.

With Democratic U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar set to become Minnesota's governor in January, attention is already turning to who could be appointed to fill the Senate seat she will leave behind.

Klobuchar defeated Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth with about 55 percent of the vote compared to Demuth’s 42 percent in the North Star State's gubernatorial election. Her victory followed the decision by outgoing Governor Tim Walz not to seek a third term amid a corruption controversy that clouded the final years of his administration, creating an open-seat race that ultimately elevated Klobuchar to the state's top office and now leaves Democrats searching for a successor in the U.S. Senate.

Under Minnesota law, a U.S. Senate vacancy is filled by gubernatorial appointment, meaning the decision could fall to either Walz or Klobuchar herself, depending on when she formally resigns her Senate seat.

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