Kendall Qualls is running out of money, complicating his campaign for Minnesota governor

MINNEAPOLIS - Republican gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls is running low on cash heading into a competitive primary election, raising questions about whether he can fend off his GOP rivals and mount a serious statewide campaign.

Qualls, an Army veteran and retired health care executive who won the Minnesota GOP endorsement for governor last month, had only $34,000 left in his campaign account at the end of May, according to a newly filed fundraising report.

His second-quarter report also listed $37,000 in debt, leaving him in a weak financial position at a crucial time for his campaign.

Qualls is locked in a three-way primary race against Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. Both Demuth and Lindell have raised more money than Qualls this year.

Qualls, who lacks statewide name recognition, will almost certainly need more money to pay for ads and voter outreach ahead of a contentious primary election Aug. 11.

"I think it's fair to say that they're exceptionally weak numbers for the endorsed candidate," said former GOP state Rep. Pat Garofalo. "The idea that an endorsed candidate would be in last place in fundraising is not something that used to happen."

Qualls addressed his fundraising report on social media Tuesday, saying he's seen a "surge" of support from donors in Minnesota and across the country since he won the GOP endorsement. A spokesman for Qualls declined to share how much the campaign raised in recent weeks, however.

Lindell is also facing questions about his viability after he burned through all the money he raised and ended the second quarter with just under $12,000 on hand.

Demuth reported nearly $518,000 in the bank at the end of May, giving her a significant cash advantage with eight weeks left until the primary. A spokesman for Demuth's campaign said she is best positioned to take on U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the DFL-endorsed candidate for governor.

"Both Qualls and Lindell have spent more than they've raised this year and are effectively out of money," Demuth campaign spokesman Hank Long said.

Heading into last month's state GOP convention, some Republicans, including a former campaign adviser for Qualls, had questioned Qualls' spending on consultants. His latest fundraising report shows his campaign has paid about $185,000 to consultants this year, accounting for 63% of his total spending.

Qualls' spokesman declined to say whether the campaign would dial back its spending on consultants moving forward.

Despite his low cash balance, Qualls said his endorsement win over Demuth and Lindell proved he can defeat well-funded opponents.

"Our campaign has the resources to win the primary in August and beat Amy Klobuchar in November," Qualls wrote in a social media post.

"Don't believe the Fake News! Our campaign is surging, not in debt."

In a video message, Qualls said the debt listed on his report was actually a personal contribution that he and his wife made to the campaign that does not need to be repaid. His campaign will revise future filings to reflect that, he said.

As the endorsed candidate, Qualls will have the strength and financing of the state party behind him. But the Republican Party of Minnesota has also struggled to raise money in recent years, and it's unclear if it will invest significant resources into an intraparty battle ahead of the general election.

The August primary race will test the strength of the GOP endorsement and the power of political fundraising.

Republican primary voters in Minnesota have traditionally rallied behind the candidate endorsed by the party. But Demuth has a significant cash advantage as well as an affiliated political action committee that's already spent $1 million on her behalf.

"The power of the endorsement is clearly being tested," said David Sturrock, a political science professor at Southwest Minnesota State University and former Republican Party official.

Early voting for the primary starts June 26.

Whoever emerges from the GOP race is expected to face a formidable fundraiser in Klobuchar. The senator has raised $7 million this year and had $3.8 million on hand at the end of May.

Klobuchar will also have the backing of the Minnesota DFL Party, which has consistently outraised the state GOP. The DFL had about $2.2 million in its campaign account at the end of May, while the state Republican Party reported about $282,000 on hand.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 11:20 AM.