Ben Schierer

Ben Schierer (Democratic Party) is running for election for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. He advanced from the Democratic primary on August 11, 2026.

Schierer (Democratic Party) also ran for election for Minnesota State Auditor. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on August 11, 2026.

Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota

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Minnesota State Auditor

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Ben Schierer, and I am running to be Minnesota’s next state auditor. I’m proud to be from Fergus Falls, where I met my wife, Tessa, and where Tessa and I started two main street businesses from scratch and are raising our five children. And Fergus Falls is where I served 16 years in local elected office, including two terms as mayor- a rural progressive twice elected in one of the reddest parts of the state.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

There is no office in Minnesota closer to local government than the State Auditor. We have an opportunity to elect a leader with a vision of how this office can help communities across the state move forward. I have a master's in public affairs from the Humphrey Institute and have been chosen as a Bush Fellow, NewDEAL Leader, and Presidential Leadership Scholar. All of that work was focused on local government and building relationships with local leaders across Minnesota to ensure that EVERY community has the tools and resources they need to thrive. We need leaders who understand that it is critical that we bring the voices of local elected officials into state policy decisions.The auditor oversees programs and serves on boards critical to communities and working families across Minnesota, including Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and the Minnesota Housing Financing Agency.

There is no tool more vital to job creation and economic development for local governments than TIF. In Fergus Falls we revitalized our downtown, redeveloped blighted industrial sites along our riverfront, and repurposed the big boxes left vacant by national closures. TIF was critical to our success.

And there are living wage jobs across Minnesota that go unfilled because we don’t have the housing to support them. I know what it takes to get those projects done, and I want o ensure those programs work for ALL our communities.As the DFL Party, if we want to be a party for the entire state, we must have candidates from the entire state who can connect with the voters we have lost as a party over the past few decades. We need candidates who have lived, worked, and served in the rural communities that feel abandoned by the DFL.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Local Government, economic development, housing, and fraud prevention.

Fraud is unacceptable, and we need to stop it at every level of government. I have a plan for fraud based on what I've actually done as a small business owner and as a mayor. One part of that plan is to ensure a fraud hotline is available to the general public statewide and internally within local governments for public employees, so we can stop fraud on the front lines. That is not an empty campaign promise or a political talking point; that is what we did in Fergus Falls while I was mayor, long before fraud was in the headlines, because it’s what good government looks like.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Attorney General Keith Ellison, former Congressman Collin Peterson, State Senator Aric Putnam, Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson, New York Mills Mayor Latham Hetland, Marshall Mayor Bob Brynes, State Senator Rob Kupec, CD6 DFL Chair Chantal Oechsle, Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian, Moorhead City Council Member Emily Moore, Roger Moe, Becky Lourey, Chris Coleman, and other former and current leaders across Minnesota.