Latest news with #KendallQualls
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Minnesota is not a one-party state'
Jun. 10—Kendall Qualls speaks on economy, education and reducing crime at Republicans meeting By Ayanna Eckblad Minnesota governor candidate Kendall Qualls on Monday spoke about revitalizing the state's economy, reducing crime and providing a better quality of education at the Freeborn County Republicans monthly meeting at Edgewater Bay Pavilion. Qualls was originally going to be one of several speakers present at the meeting, but elected officials that were also scheduled were called to a special legislative session in St. Paul and were not able to attend. In his speech, Qualls covered why he is running for governor in the 2026 gubernatorial election and the three main topics he was running on. "People say, 'Minnesota is far gone. We're like California.' We're not. Minnesota is not a one-party state yet like California," Qualls said. He continued by stating that although Democrats own the media, K-12 and high education, they only have a one-seat majority in the Senate and a tie in the House. With the right candidate at the top of the ticket for governor, he said, the GOP could win the state governorship, House, Senate, attorney general and secretary of state positions. Qualls said he would like to restore Minnesota to its former glory. "Minnesota, if you think about it, if it was a company traded on the New York stock exchange, most people would have sold their stock by now," he said. Qualls explained he served for five years in active duty before entering the private sector. He said a good leader can see an opportunity where others may only see a failing business. "I know because I've done this. I've worked on brands and turned it around." Qualls said over the course of his campaign travels throughout the state, he has spoken to many people who have been forced to move from Minnesota to neighboring states because of Gov. Tim Walz's policies. He added he plans to win the election by reaching swing voters without compromising values. Qualls outlined three main issues he would like to address as governor. The first issue was to cultivate a thriving economy by creating an environment with a low tax base in which communities can thrive. Everybody wants a thriving economy, he said. The second issue Qualls spoke about was how to increase safety in the state, specifically in metro areas like Minneapolis. He began by saying that Minneapolis rated highly in safety and quality of life by Forbes in 2009, but Walz since his election has turned the city into a war zone with a 45 percent increase in violent crime. "We can't live in a great state without a great Minneapolis," Qualls said. If he were to be elected governor, he said, he would begin by issuing a public apology to Minnesota law enforcement. The third topic Qualls spoke on was the need for a quality system of public education in Minnesota. "Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, everyone wants their children to have a great education," he said. Following Qualls' speech, local attorney Matt Benda and Shell Rock River Watershed District manager Brad Kramer also spoke.
Fox News
14-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Minnesota Republican announces campaign for governor, vows to ‘fix' what Tim Walz ‘broke'
FIRST ON FOX: Army veteran and business executive Kendall Qualls has officially launched his campaign to challenge former Democrat vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz to be the next governor of Minnesota. While Walz has not yet formally announced a third consecutive gubernatorial bid, Qualls, who also ran for governor in 2022, framed the race for Minnesota's highest office as an opportunity to fix the problems Walz created. "I'm running because, after a 16-year reign of failed leadership, the citizens of Minnesota are looking for a different direction. They're looking for new leadership, and I'm here to make sure they get it," Qualls told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview ahead of his campaign launch on Tuesday night. In a statement shared first with Fox News Digital, Qualls said he is the only candidate who can help Minnesota reach its potential. "I don't need to tell you that Minnesota is at a crossroads," Qualls said in a statement. "Tim Walz took us further down the road of lost jobs, fleeing companies, rising crime and cratering education. Now, he's spending more time outside the state on a vanity tour than he is trying to move Minnesota forward. That's not leadership." Qualls explained that Minnesotans want to build the economy, feel safe in their communities and improve education, but "we're not going to get any of those changes from Tim Walz." "I'm the only candidate who can help Minnesota live up to its potential. If we are going to fix the budget Tim Walz broke, we need a proven leader with real-world business experience. If we are going to take back our streets and our classrooms, we need a candidate with a conservative backbone and law and order credentials," Qualls said. Qualls said the only way to create the change that Minnesotans are asking for is to bring in a political outsider like himself. "Much like President Trump with his experience in business and leadership, my background has been in business. And before that, I was an officer in the United States Army. And even before that, I grew up in dire poverty. I know that there's a formula for success in this country, even if we don't come from a background of privilege," Qualls said. The gubernatorial candidate said he wants Americans to know there is a pathway forward in the United States for anyone to succeed, regardless of their background or where they went to school. But Qualls said the government has a responsibility to get out of the way of those pathways to success. "There are pathways out. And unfortunately, what I'm finding with the Democrats is that they have been closing those doors of prosperity. When I turned 18 years old, I registered as a Republican, and I never looked back. I didn't know any Republicans. I didn't have a country club membership, but what I did know was what the Democrats were doing in the Black community was something I didn't want to be a part of. They weren't helping. They were making things worse," Qualls said, who grew up in poverty in Harlem in New York and in a trailer park in Oklahoma. While Qualls is presenting his campaign as the only alternative to what he describes as the destruction of Minnesota's current Democrat rule, it's not his first time running for the state's highest office. "In this last election, I finished number two out of seven candidates in the Republican endorsement process. I agreed to abide by the endorsement. I actually endorsed. The candidate that won. But unfortunately, in that election in 2022, we lost everything, the governorship, Senate, House, attorney general, everything. And a lot of people felt that maybe we had the wrong candidate at the top of the ticket," Qualls said. But Qualls said this time is different. "I worked around the state for four years helping candidates raise money, just rallying the troops," Qualls said. "There's a sense of true leadership that people haven't seen before." Leaning on his increased name recognition this time around, Qualls said he is focused on building a grassroots coalition of Minnesota Republicans who are ready for change. Walz did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Republican Kendall Qualls to run for Minnesota governor in 2026
Republican Kendall Qualls, a businessman and Army veteran, launched his bid for Minnesota governor on Tuesday. It's not the first time Qualls has sought public office; he made a gubernatorial run in 2022 but lost the GOP nomination to Scott Jensen. He also made an unsuccessful bid for the the 3rd Congressional District seat in 2020. Now he's one of the first to enter the race for the governor's office in 2026. In 2021, Qualls founded the conservative advocacy group TakeCharge Minnesota. "I'm the only candidate who can help Minnesota live up to its potential. If we are going to fix the budget Tim Walz broke, we need a proven leader with real world business experience. If we are going to take back our streets and our classrooms, we need a candidate with a conservative backbone and law and order credentials," Qualls said. Walz has yet to announce whether he'll run for a third term. While speaking on a podcast with The New Yorker in March, he also didn't rule out a presidential run in 2028. The Minnesota DFL called Qualls a "far-right culture warrior obsessed with defunding public schools and trying to take away Minnesotans' access to health care and reproductive freedom."
