With Gov. Tim Walz bowing out of the race for re-election, Minnesota voters will face a wide open field as they select a new governor next November, and here’s the process leading up to that decision.

Election Day is Nov. 3, but voters will have opportunities to weigh in on the candidates well before then.

Republican candidates in the race include Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, of Cold Spring; Dr. Scott Jensen, who was the party’s 2022 candidate; state Rep. Kristin Robbins, of Maple Grove; Chris Madel, a former federal prosecutor and defense attorney; and Kendall Qualls, a former executive.

Walz had been the sole DFLer running but now other candidates are expected to emerge.

Both the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and the Republican Party of Minnesota will hold their precinct caucuses on Feb. 3,  where they will choose delegates to their state convention.

Both major parties will host a state convention that runs from May 29 to May 31, when they will endorse candidates for governor and lt. governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor. The DFL plans to meet in Rochester. The state GOP will meet in Duluth.

Endorsed candidates will move on to a party primary this summer carrying the official support of their party. Non-endorsed candidates may still run in the primaries. For instance, in 2018 St. Paul’s Erin Murphy received the DFL endorsement for governor but went on to lose the primary to Walz.

Both major political parties will host their gubernatorial primary elections on Aug. 11, shortening the list of candidates who can run on the November ballot as the official DFL or GOP nominee to one candidate per party. Voters can decide at the ballot box which one of the parties they will vote for, as Minnesota does not require political party registration.

With the field winnowed, the race for governor moves on to the general election.

For the general election, early voting begins Sept. 18 by mail or in person and runs through Nov. 2. To save time on Election Day, voters are encouraged but not required to register to vote by Oct. 13.

The election will be held Nov. 3, and the next governor and lieutenant governor will take office in January 2027.