Scott Jensen in 2022 MN Governor's race
On Civil Rights:
Supported a ban on LGBTQ conversion therapy
Jensen cited the failure of the Legislature to pass a ban on LGBTQ conversion therapy for minors during the most recent session. "We should have done something on that," he said. "Virtually every counseling, psychiatric, psychological organization in
the country acknowledges that some sort of force-fed conversion attempt with a preordained agenda and anticipated outcome in the pediatric population is just one of the really best ways to drive someone over the top and into a suicidal posture.
Source: MinnPost.com on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial race
Jul 26, 2021
On Crime:
Increasing number of officers will restore law and order
Dr. Scott Jensen believes we need to support our law enforcement and call for violent criminals to be caught, convicted, and imprisoned. Tim Walz and out-of-touch Democrat leaders in our cities blame the police; Dr. Scott Jensen knows
we need more cops, not less. He will seek to increase the number of officers, which will restore law and order to our broken cities.
Source: 2022 Minnesota Governor campaign website DrScottJensen.com
Dec 30, 2021
On Drugs:
Expunge prior convictions for small amounts of marijuana
As a medical professional Dr. Scott Jensen has seen the benefit of medical cannabis. Our State has had a program since 2015 and Dr. Jensen fully supports it. As Governor he will be an advocate to increase the number of distribution centers, ease
restrictions on the ability to prescribe, and allow more providers to better serve the pain management needs in our state.
Dr Scott Jensen believes it is time for expungement for prior convictions of small amounts of marijuana. Individuals with past criminal convictions can face difficulty acquiring and maintaining employment, attending college, and engaging in other
activities. In some cases, this hardship can lead to other crime and recidivism. Dr. Jensen believes it is time to end the cycle and expunge these minor infractions that cause greater harm than good.
Source: 2022 Minnesota Governor campaign website DrScottJensen.com
Dec 30, 2021
On Government Reform:
Dead people voted in 2020; it's time for election integrity
All five Republican gubernatorial hopefuls were asked the same first question during the debate: "In your opinion, did President Biden win a constitutional majority in the electoral college?" Not a single candidate expressed confidence in the
long-certified results. Jensen said, "I can't know what I don't know. And I think we have to take that attitude toward 2020," he said, mentioning a Republican-led audit in Maricopa County that found zero discrepancies.
Jensen also said there have been "enough shenanigans," adding it's time to address "election integrity." He also said he believes dead people voted.
None of the candidates specifically explained which states' results they believe weren't valid.
Source: Bring Me the News blog on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial race
Dec 16, 2021
On Government Reform:
Follow Trump in reducing rules and regulations
Some of his other campaign planks include no mask mandate for school kids, no vaccine passports, no vaccine mandate in the private sector or emergency lockdowns that don't work."We need to follow President [Donald] Trump's model,"
Jensen said. "His legacy will be policy. He reduced rules and regulations and put good judges in place. He went after NATO and NAFTA and trail-blazed issues. That's what we'll do. But we'll do something different and engage groups that weren't before."
Source: New Ulm Journal on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial race
Sep 21, 2021
On Health Care:
Not an anti-vaxxer, but the patient gets to choose
[On COVID-19]: "When people call me an anti-vaxxer, I think that's sort of remarkable considering my children are fully vaccinated. I doubt that there are a whole lot of Minnesotans who purchase vaccines as my family," he said. "I'm just really
a strong arm. I think the patient gets to choose. You can't tell me the vaccine is safe for me. You can decide if it's safe for you."
Source: Southwest News Media on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial Race
Mar 11, 2021
On Health Care:
COVID: Opposes ineffective mask mandates
Jensen does say he opposes mask mandates because he believes anything less than an N-95 mask is largely ineffective. "We should get rid of the mask mandate at this point in time,"
he says. "If people want to wear a mask they should wear a mask...wearing a cloth mask or surgical mask, these were never intended to stop viral particle transmission."
Source: KSTP-TV on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial Race
Mar 11, 2021
On Health Care:
Strongly opposes single payer healthcare for Minnesota
Single payer healthcare will not solve the health care problems in Minnesota and will damage patient-doctor relationships. It will foster apathy, increase low value services utilization, undermine commitment to service,
compromise quality of care, increase waiting time, and reduce provider career satisfaction. Dr. Jensen strongly opposes single payer healthcare for Minnesota.
Source: 2022 Minnesota Governor campaign website DrScottJensen.com
Dec 30, 2021
On Homeland Security:
Soldiers should be allowed to refuse COVID vaccination
The small-town family doctor angling to become Minnesota's next governor smiled, leaned into the camera and told his Facebook viewers that Sweden had just paused the Moderna vaccine for people under age 30 over "significant concern"
about heart inflammation. Dr. Scott Jensen, clad in a white lab coat, quickly pivoted: "So what happens to military people who are threatened with a dishonorable discharge if they are unwilling to potentially put their heart health at risk?"
Source: WCCO-4 CBS-TV on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial race
Sep 21, 2021
On Principles & Values:
A governor should serve to preserve, protect and prepare
A governor should serve to preserve, protect and prepare. Those three principles are immutable--they are the standard for every governor.
I am running for Governor because these principals have not been met by our current administration.
Source: 2022 Minnesota Governor campaign website DrScottJensen.com
Dec 30, 2021
On Principles & Values:
Can't know what I don't know about 2020 election
HUGH HEWITT, DEBATE MODERATOR: In your opinion, did President Biden win the constitutional majority of the electoral college?
DR. SCOTT JENSEN: I can`t know what I don`t know. And I think we have to take that attitude towards 2020.
MAYOR MIKE MURPHY: I do believe there was voter fraud at a massive scale across this country.
STATE SEN. PAUL GAZELKA: I don`t think the election was fair, but I do think we have the results that we have. The electoral college is the way that we determine the election.
STATE SEN. MICHELLE BENSON: The more we watch, the less they cheat.
Source: MSNBC on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial debate
Sep 21, 2021
On Tax Reform:
We're some of the most over-taxed people in America
Minnesotans are some of the most over-taxed people in America. We are losing businesses and Minnesotans are flocking to other states due to our high tax structure. It starts with shrinking the government and not answering every question with
another government agency or program. We know Minnesotans want to invest in themselves and their families and not in the vast bureaucracy that years of Democratic leadership have given us. More government is not the answer; it is the problem.
Source: 2022 Minnesota Governor campaign website DrScottJensen.com
Dec 30, 2021
On Technology:
Banned by TikTok: "Sure feels like being canceled"
Jensen was banned by TikTok for spreading COVID-19 misinformation against its guidelines, the company said. "It's really pretty confusing, but it sure feels
like being canceled," Jensen said. "I've said it more than once and I'll say it again. If it can happen to me, why couldn't it happen to you?" he added.
Source: Insider.com on 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial Race
Mar 11, 2021
On Abortion:
Let Minnesotans vote on constitutional abortion ban
Walz and GOP challenger Scott Jensen squared off over abortion early in the debate, with Jensen saying he would not ban abortion and Minnesotans should vote on the issue as a constitutional amendment. He also said the state needs to "share the
responsibility and the challenge of planning families and planning pregnancies," including paid maternity benefits and a tax credit associated with adoption.
Walz stressed that governors can appoint Minnesota Supreme Court justices who interpret cases. "I just want to be absolutely clear, this is on the ballot," Walz said. "You get a choice here of a vision of Minnesota, one that questions our elections, one
that tells women they can't make their choices, one that defunds our public schools or you get an opportunity that brought so many of us to Minnesota. An opportunity for a state that is inclusive," Walz said.
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune on 2022 Minnesota Governor race
Oct 18, 2022
On Education:
Start funding kids, not broken institutions
Gov. Tim Walz stressed that the return on state investments in things like education "comes back to you tenfold over." Walz said, "You get a choice here of a vision of Minnesota, one that defunds our public schools or you get an opportunity for a
state that is inclusive."Jensen highlighted lagging student test scores, rising violent crime and inflation during Walz's tenure. "We need to start funding kids, not broken institutions," said
Jensen, who is pushing for student choice, where dollars would follow students to private, charter or public schools. He also condemned closures of schools during the pandemic,
saying, "These kids are going to be paying the price of Tim Walz's irresponsible policy decisions for years to come."
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune on 2022 Minnesota Governor race
Oct 18, 2022
On Principles & Values:
2020 election shenanigans crossed line of election integrity
At a Minnesota Republican primary debate in December, Jensen would not offer a firm answer when asked if he thinks Biden won a "constitutional majority" in the Electoral College. Instead, he responded, "I can't know what I don't know, and
I think that we have to take that attitude towards 2020."Jensen went on to uncritically report that someone on the ground in Arizona's Maricopa County, where Republicans conducted a partisan sham "audit," had told him that thousands more mail-in
ballots were returned than were sent out to voters; that claim is based on a misunderstanding of the county's records. He then added, "I don't think there's any question that we've had
enough shenanigans that we should want to do something about our election integrity. Which states crossed the line, which states hit a certain threshold, I can't know that."
The Jensen campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: CNN on 2020 Election Denial in 2022 Minnesota Governor race
Sep 9, 2022
Page last updated: Aug 18, 2024