A Minnesota candidate for governor has suspended his campaign after his daughter was found fatally stabbed in St. Cloud this past weekend.
Police in St. Cloud say 22-year-old Hallie Marie Tobler was discovered Saturday night inside a locked apartment with multiple stab wounds. Officers also found her 23-year-old husband inside the unit with serious injuries that authorities believe were self-inflicted. Investigators currently believe he was responsible for her death. He was listed in stable condition at a St. Cloud hospital and is in police custody; charges are expected once he is released from treatment. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting with the ongoing investigation.
🚨Sad News: Minnesota Republican Candidate for Governor Jeff Johnson has suspended his 2026 campaign after his 22-year-old daughter was stabbed to death pic.twitter.com/P8YxCj8OMS
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) February 10, 2026
Hallie was the daughter of Jeff Johnson, a Republican candidate seeking his party’s nomination for governor of Minnesota in 2026. After the tragedy, the Republican Party of Minnesota said it was “heartbroken” by the loss and that Johnson had suspended his campaign to focus on his family and out of respect for the enormity of what his family is facing.
Several other political candidates and leaders offered condolences to the family. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth and state representatives extended sympathy, and Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is widely viewed as the Democratic frontrunner in the governor’s race, also expressed her sympathies.