Scott Jensen (Minnesota politician)

Scott Jensen
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 47th district
In office January 3, 2017 – January 5, 2021
Preceded by	Julianne Ortman
Succeeded by	Julia Coleman
Personal details
Born	(1954-11-19) November 19, 1954 (age 69) Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary
Children	3
Relatives	Carl Jensen (father)
Education	Luther Seminary (attended) University of Minnesota (BA, MD)

Scott M. Jensen (born November 19, 1954) is an American physician and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was a member of the Minnesota Senate from 2017 to 2021. He was the Republican nominee for governor of Minnesota in the 2022 election.

Jensen was born and raised in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. He earned his M.D. from the University of Minnesota. Jensen practices family medicine at his clinic in Watertown, Minnesota. During the 1990s and 2000s, he served on the Waconia school board. Jensen was elected to the state Senate in 2016 from a district covering part of Carver County, Minnesota, on the outskirts of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. During his term in the legislature, he was regarded as moderate. After leaving the legislature, his views shifted to the right. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jensen was known for his criticisms of COVID-19 lockdowns and promotion of COVID-19 anti-vaccination falsehoods. He chose not to seek reelection in 2020.^[1]

In 2021, Jensen announced his bid to challenge incumbent Democratic governor Tim Walz in the 2022 Minnesota gubernatorial election. He later selected former professional football player Matt Birk as his running mate. Jensen secured the Republican nomination in the August 2022 primary election. He and Birk lost to Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan in the general election.