Sen. Amy Klobuchar heads into her 2024 re-election bid without a major GOP challenger

Three-term U.S. DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar opens her 2024 re-election year in an enviable position for an incumbent because she has no formidable Republican opponent.

The election isn't until November so there's still time, but a raft of reasons make it unlikely this race will ramp up.

"Would you want to put your hand in a meat grinder?" asked Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School. "That's the political equivalent of running against a highly popular incumbent U.S. senator who works hard ... and wins in urban, suburban and rural counties. And, by the way, keeps winning by 20 points."

From 2019 through fall 2023, Klobuchar raised close to $12 million and spent most of it. She had $4 million remaining on hand as of last fall.

Steven Schier, Carleton College political science professor emeritus, said that to challenge Klobuchar, an opponent should have been in the race six months ago.

"When she got elected the first time, it was my thought she could stay a senator as long as she wanted," he said. "It's not an election, it's a coronation."

Schier said Klobuchar has assiduously avoided doing anything to get on the wrong side of Minnesota voters. "She picks her spots to try and maximize her future opportunities," he said.

If she were vulnerable, Schier said, the national party "would have recruited a quality candidate by now, but she's got nada."

Former Minnesota Republican Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch said Klobuchar has been a heavy hitter from the beginning, owing in part to the goodwill attached to her name. Her late father, Jim Klobuchar, was a longtime columnist at this newspaper.

Republicans would like to find a solid opponent with mainstream views. "What we need to avoid is hurtful unforced errors on the down ballot," Koch said.

Absent a solid candidate, she said the party's better off not challenging Klobuchar.

"It's a lot to go up against," Koch said. "She's got a big name. She's got a big national presence. She's well-liked in Minnesota."

Previous election results indicate she is indeed comfortably popular.

In 2018, Klobuchar's last re-election campaign, she won all eight Minnesota congressional districts, beating Republican state Rep. Jim Newberger 60% to 36%.

That margin was slightly smaller than her 2012 victory, when she beat state Rep. Kurt Bills. She rolled up 65% of the vote to his 31%.

In her inaugural statewide race in 2006, she bested Sixth Congressional District Rep. Mark Kennedy, a Republican who was an experienced, strong candidate, by 20 points.

Her closest race by far was her first one for Hennepin County attorney in 1998, when she eked out a win over Sheryl Ramstad Hvass by less than a percentage point.

Klobuchar's only taste of electoral defeat came in 2020, when she ended her presidential bid after seven months because of a poor showing in South Carolina's primary. At the tender age of 63, she's given us no reason to believe her presidential aspirations have evaporated.

"Looking forward, that's what she's up to," Schier said. He expects her to stockpile goodwill by continuing to raise money and donate to other Senate and congressional candidates as well as President Joe Biden. He also expects her to campaign for them.

"It's going to be interesting to watch to see how she plays it to build opportunities for the future. She's clearly got her eyes on that," he said. "She's not going to mail this in."

Klobuchar's campaign spokesman Ben Hill said she's focused on her job in the Senate and "delivering results for Minnesotans." He said she's distinguished herself in the last Congress for having the most bipartisan bills and ranked third for passing bills into law.

"Whether it's lowering prescription drug costs or making sure veterans have access to the health care they deserve, Senator Klobuchar will continue to get things done that make a real difference in people's lives," he said in a written statement.

Schier said a big winning margin would send a strong message. "It's her first step on a presidential run in 2028," he said.

The state Republican Party didn’t respond to requests for comment.