Press Release

Today, Saturday, May 14, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement after the Republican Party of Minnesota endorsed far-right candidate for governor Scott Jensen: 

“Minnesota Republicans have chosen the most extreme and dangerous candidate to lead their party in the fall,” said Martin. “In just the last two weeks, Scott Jensen has promised to ban abortion for rape victims and to throw one of his political opponents in jail. Minnesotans want their leaders to focus on helping working families, but Scott Jensen is only interested in his far-right political agenda. This fall, voters will have a clear choice between Scott Jensen’s extremism and Governor Walz’s responsible leadership.”

Last week, Scott Jensen explicitly declared that if he has his way, abortion will be illegal in Minnesota under almost all circumstances – even for victims of rape and incest. That statement is consistent with his commitment to push for an “outright ban” on abortion.

Jensen also recently suggested jail time for Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, citing baseless Big Lie conspiracy theories. The remarks are part of a pattern of authoritarian impulses, including bragging about getting help from Vladimir Putin and praising Ron DeSantis as a “hero” for retaliating against Disney when they objected to Florida’s “don’t say gay” law.

As a legislator, Jensen authored a bill that would have eliminated cost-of-living increases to Minnesota’s minimum wage. He also put forward a bill to cut the corporate tax rate by 10 percent and was one of just four senators who voted against aid for restaurants and small businesses during the pandemic.

An anti-vaxxer with international infamy, Jensen’s lies about the COVID-19 vaccine and pandemic are well-documented.