GOP-Backed Gubernatorial Candidate Dr. Scott Jensen Campaigns in St. Cloud Wednesday

(KNSI) — Minnesota’s Republican-endorsed candidate for governor, Dr. Scott Jensen, was in St. Cloud Wednesday to meet with potential voters.

Jensen is a family doctor and former state senator who heavily criticized the state’s COVID-19 response but says it’s time to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones and move on.

“The bottom line is, I think, we’re getting past this pandemic. And we’re going to have to all step aside and have a little bit of grace for one another. We’re going to have to start building bridges and recognize that we didn’t all see it the same way. What’s most important, is we need to absolutely maximize what we can glean from what we’ve gone through, recognizing that there were some horrific pains and heartbreaks that went on, and we need to be better and do it better the next time.”

While in St. Cloud, he also laid out his public safety plan, saying he’s tired of hearing about light sentences for violent offenders. He says judges have been going too easy on violent offenders who need to be put in jail and serve their time. “Incarceration has to be a tool to stop recurrent, violent felons from doing what they do. I think we need to recognize that mandated minimums have to be something that comes into play. And that we have a problem with prosecuting attorneys and judges that are simply too liberal.”

He says letting criminals stay on the street isn’t helping them, but while they’re behind bars, they can be helped. “Recurrent, violent felons don’t really enjoy a life that most of us would want. What they need to do is they need to be held accountable for what they did. And they need to be rehabilitated in prison. So they have training, education. So when they get out, they can get a job.”

On top of restorative justice, Dr. Jensen’s plan also calls for more police on the streets. Democrats said Jensen’s plan doesn’t allocate any new money for public safety initiatives. The Minnesota legislature failed to pass public safety funding this past session. Democratic Governor Tim Walz toured the state, speaking with local officials, police, and public safety workers about their needs. His $330 million public safety plan would have provided millions in local government aid for cities to use how they saw fit for public safety.

Jensen also attacked high taxes, saying the social security tax needs to go and take personal income taxes with it in hopes of sparking economic growth.

“What would Minnesota look like if we did not have a personal income tax? What would we look like if we were the economic hub of the Midwest, and we had companies moving here, expanding here, going upstream and downstream with new subsidiary companies? This is where I think Minnesota has to go.”

Jensen has yet to release an energy plan, which he hopes to do before the end of the month.