Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this editorial do not represent the Minnesota Daily’s newsroom and are not necessarily representative of any individual on the Opinions Desk. This piece has been agreed upon for publication by a majority vote of all members of the Daily’s Opinions Desk.
On Tuesday, Aug. 13, Minnesotans will vote in primary elections for several key positions, including seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Democrat Amy Klobuchar is seeking a fourth term as one of the state’s senators, though twelve other candidates are also running for a major party nomination.
Eleven of the twelve opposing candidates are male, which reflects how men continue to outnumber women throughout politics. However, Klobuchar’s position demonstrates that the relatively small number of women who run for office tend to have far more qualifications than their male counterparts.
One common qualification for politicians is a college degree, especially in areas such as law and political science. Klobuchar, for example, graduated from Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School, according to her website.
Few of Klobuchar’s opponents in the Senate race have similar degrees. One exception is Ahmad Hassan, who is seeking the Democratic nomination.
Hassan earned a bachelor’s degree from Friends University and a master’s in law from Presidents College, according to Ballotpedia. However, Hassan has no prior experience holding public office, which is another valuable qualification for a Senator position.
Hassan attempted to run for office before, but not in Minnesota. According to Politico, Hassan ran for the Democratic nomination in the race for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas earlier this year. He lost the primary in March and has since decided to focus on the race in Minnesota instead.
Needless to say, voters are unlikely to support a candidate who treats Minnesota as his second option.
Klobuchar worked in law in Minnesota before she began serving as a Senator in 2007. According to her website, Klobuchar previously worked as a prosecutor in Minnesota for eight years.
Most of the men running for Klobuchar’s seat have work experience in fields unrelated to politics.
One of the frontrunners for the Republican nomination is Royce White, whose prior experiences include time as an NBA player and podcaster, according to his website. It is unclear how these skills translate to effective leadership in deciding the fate of our country.
Another Republican candidate is Joe Fraser, who has no prior political experience, served in the Navy and currently works as a banking executive.
Steve Carlson, a candidate for the Democratic nomination, has previously run for several public offices but has yet to win any of them, according to his LinkedIn. Carlson was a board member at the University of Minnesota between 1977 and 1985 and describes himself on Twitter as a “Trumpocrat” — a Democrat who, for inexplicable reasons, supports Trump.
Less prominent candidates in the Senate race include artist Ole Savior, running for the Democratic nomination, and Loner Blue, a retired man and convicted felon running for the Republican nomination, according to their social media pages. The names of these candidates alone should tell voters everything they need to know about them.
Undeniably, none of these candidates’ accomplishments stack up to Klobuchar’s on paper. When looking through the list of names, it is difficult to take many candidates seriously at all.
However, many voters doubt whether traditional qualifications are necessary to be a good politician. Most notably, former President Donald Trump made history in 2016 by winning the presidency without any prior experience in public office or the military.
Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, the first woman nominated by a major political party for president. Like Klobuchar, Clinton had far more qualifications than her male opponent, having served as a U.S. senator and secretary of state. Nevertheless, Trump won the presidency and remains popular today.
Trump’s largest competitor for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election was Nikki Haley. Unlike Trump, Haley had political experience prior to her presidential bid as the governor of South Carolina and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, according to Ballotpedia.
Minnesota’s second U.S. Senator is Tina Smith, who also displayed extensive political experience when she was elected in 2018. Smith previously served as the lieutenant governor of Minnesota, according to Ballotpedia. Her opponent in the 2018 race, Republican Karin Housley, also held previous political experience as a member of the Minnesota State Senate.
In the 2024 Minnesota primaries, other women running for major party nominations support the trend of women being overqualified. Ilhan Omar, the current U.S. representative of Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, is running for the Democratic nomination. Before her current role, Omar served in the Minnesota State House of Representatives.
The only other woman in the 2024 U.S. Senate primary in Minnesota is Republican Alycia Gruenhagen.
Though Gruenhagen has no prior political experience, her case for the nomination is stronger than many men in the race because she was born and resides in Minnesota. If that bar is not high enough, Gruenhagen also previously worked in community development by leading a food co-op.
Candidates with fewer qualifications on paper are not necessarily worse than others. Most voters put far more weight on a candidate’s policies and communication skills. Yet relevant education and past experiences are certainly helpful when holding a political office.
When a relatively larger number of male candidates run for office without significant qualifications, the female candidates seem overqualified in comparison.