Walz drops bid for third term as Minnesota governor; Klobuchar weighs entry

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Democrats’ 2024 vice-presidential nominee, announced Monday that he will not seek a third term as governor, citing Republican attacks and the political fallout from a federal investigation into child care fraud in the state’s Somali community. Walz made the announcement at the state capitol less than four months after launching his reelection campaign, saying the dual demands of governing and campaigning had become untenable. Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is considering entering the race, according to a person close to her who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Walz’s exit scrambles a governor’s race in a state Republicans have targeted as flippable. Minnesota is one of 36 governorships on the ballot in 2026, with Democrats currently holding 24 of 50 seats nationwide.

“Every minute that I spend defending my own political interest would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who want to prey on our differences,” Walz said. “So I’ve decided to step out of this race, and I’ll let others worry about the election while I focus on the work that’s in front of me for the next year.”

Walz spoke for about seven minutes before leaving without taking questions from reporters. Much of his remarks repeated his earlier written statement.

The governor tied his exit to pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration, which has withheld federal funding tied to the state’s child care programs and targeted Minnesota’s Somali community with immigration enforcement. “Donald Trump and his allies — in Washington, in St. Paul, and online — want to make our state a colder, meaner place,” Walz said.

The viral video and federal funding

Walz did not explicitly acknowledge a viral video by right-wing influencer Nick Shirley, who claimed to have documented widespread fraud at day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis. The Trump administration cited the video in its decision to cut off certain federal funding streams to the state. Shirley posted on social media Monday: “I ENDED TIM WALZ.”

Trump wrote on social media that Walz was not running “because he was caught, REDHANDED” with “stealing Tens of Billions of Taxpayer Dollars” — an accusation against the governor that, according to the Associated Press, lacked evidence despite acknowledged fraud problems in the state’s child care programs.

Walz defended his stewardship, saying “a single taxpayer dollar wasted on fraud should be intolerable” and asserting his administration had worked diligently to address the problem.

The contest ahead

Around a dozen Republicans are already running for the seat. They include MyPillow founder and chief executive Mike Lindell, an election denier close to Trump; Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, of Cold Spring; Dr. Scott Jensen, a former state senator from Chaska who was the party’s 2022 candidate; state Rep. Kristin Robbins, of Maple Grove; defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor Chris Madel; and former executive Kendall Qualls.

The person close to Klobuchar said the senator, who ran for president in 2020, has not made a final decision about entering the race.

Partisan reactions

Former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on social media that Walz is “always guided by what’s best for the people of Minnesota,” adding that “his decision not to seek reelection reflects that same selfless commitment to the people he serves.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said Walz “entered public life for the right reasons and never lost sight of them.”

Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the House majority whip and a Republican, issued a one-sentence statement: “Good riddance.”

The Republican Governors Association said the state’s next Democratic candidate “will need to defend years of mismanagement and misplaced priorities.”

Walz’s record in office

During two terms, Walz navigated a closely divided legislature before gaining Democratic majorities in both chambers. His second-term record included eliminating most state abortion restrictions, protecting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, legalizing recreational marijuana, providing free school meals for all students, and establishing a paid family and medical leave program that took effect Jan. 1.

That record helped land Walz on Harris’ radar when she replaced Joe Biden at the top of the 2024 Democratic ticket. After a search that also considered North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Harris selected Walz. His attack line against Trump and then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance — “These guys are just weird” — had spread widely earlier in the campaign.

Walz drew mixed reviews for his lone debate against Vance. Harris later wrote in her book that she had been disappointed in his performance.

More recently, Walz said he had been frustrated in efforts to pass new gun control measures following a mass shooting at Annunciation School in Minneapolis in August that left two children dead and injured dozens.