MINNEAPOLIS — Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she’ll run for a third term in 2018, meaning she won’t run for Minnesota governor.

Klobuchar told the Star Tribune that many Democrats asked her to run for governor, but that she felt it was more important to try to find ways to work with Republicans in Washington during the Donald Trump administration.

She said she’s been “able to get through the gridlock” before and “can’t just walk away when it’s an ugly time.”

Gov. Mark Dayton isn’t running for re-election. Two Democrats, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and state Rep. Erin Murphy of St. Paul, have declared their candidacy.

State Republican Party chairman Keith Downey said the GOP will “fight hard” to try to beat Klobuchar and win the governor’s office.