WATCH: Top 3 clashes in heated MN governor debate as Walz's legacy looms large: 'Change the culture'

The Republican and Democratic candidates vying to replace Minnesota' s outgoing governor Tim Walz sparred in their final debate Wednesday over the massive fraud scandal that has unfolded in the state, health care and rising gas prices.

"A vote for Amy Klobuchar is a vote for a Tim Walz third term," Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth said in her opening statement after painting Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar as the "status quo" candidate in a "state in crisis" over the $ 9 billion fraud scandal.