A Minnesota governor candidate who made a big splash with a six-figure infusion into his campaign is now out of the race and pulling back some of his personal investment.
Mike Newcome, who joined the race in November as a Forward Independence Party’s candidate, terminated his campaign account last week after pressing pause on his bid weeks earlier.
In his abbreviated campaign, he had been hoping to break through the two party grip on state politics much like Jesse Ventura did in 1998. But, according to a Facebook post on his party’s website, he dropped out after fundraising began drying up in February.
Newcome is a Lake Elmo business owner who had worked previously in private equity. He had sized 2026 up as a good year to break through when he spoke with MPR News last year. But that was before Gov. Tim Walz exited and made way for U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar on the Democratic side. It was also before a federal immigration operation that stirred up Minnesota’s political climate.
“We are in such a polarized atmosphere in the country and in the state of Minnesota,” he said. “If you’re a native Minnesotan like I am, it just doesn’t feel like Minnesota politics anymore. Having grown up in a very politically active family, we were always extremely cordial with anybody who identified with any other party. It did not matter.”
He filed paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to formally end his campaign. Last year, he seeded his campaign with $200,000 in personal funds. Newcome paid himself back $91,000 and made other refunds to donors when he terminated his campaign
In a Facebook post announcing Newcome was suspending his campaign, the Forward Independence Party said: “Mike ran the kind of campaign people say they want but rarely see. He answered questions directly and offered detailed solutions to the challenges facing our state. He pledged not to take Super PAC money so he couldn't be bought by big donors. He campaigned with civility, treated opponents with respect, and conducted himself like an adult focused on governing rather than scoring partisan points.”
The post said that “Operation Metro Surge” has hardened the political environment so that “many voters retreated into partisan corners.”
It said campaign donations slowed and Newcome had a hard time getting ration with local media. (MPR News spoke with Newcome when he launched his campaign in November and again in early February).
Newcome could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.