Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that he does not know what the future holds after abandoning his bid for a third term as governor.
Speaking at a press conference in Minneapolis, Walz said he plans to keep working on efforts he described as aimed at protecting Minnesota from actions by the Trump administration, including what he said would be a surge of federal officers into the state.
Walz also said he would return to teaching geography, saying, “What I’m really good at is, I’m a really good geography teacher,” and adding, “I think that’s something where I would find the joy in, in getting back in there, trying to teach.”
Before entering politics, Walz worked as a teacher and football coach at Mankato West High School in southern Minnesota, according to the report.
Asked about what comes next, Walz said he plans to run some marathons and defend the title he won in his age division in a shorter “Turkey Trot” race on Thanksgiving.
He also suggested his attention will be focused for the next year. “Look, I got a year of work to do here. I think it will be the most challenging year, and that includes probably COVID,” Walz said, referring to how he spent much of 2020 leading the state’s coronavirus response.
Walz highlighted a policy accomplishment he said he is proudest of: the Jan. 1 launch of a paid family and medical leave program, which the Minnesota Legislature passed in 2023 after Democrats took full control of the statehouse for two years. In his account, that period of divided-government break allowed Democrats to eliminate nearly all abortion restrictions enacted by Minnesota Republicans, protect gender-affirming care for transgender youth and legalize recreational marijuana.
He said the Democrats’ legislative priorities also included free school meals for all students and gun safety measures.
Dan Hofrenning, a political scientist at St. Olaf College, said he thinks Walz’s end of his gubernatorial candidacy is probably the end of his career in elected office. “One never says never on political futures, but two-term governor, vice presidential candidate, that’s a pretty good run,” Hofrenning said, adding that pulling out reflected “some strong political vulnerabilities.”
Hofrenning said that had Walz lost, his reputation would have been further tarnished, but he suggested Walz could move into an “elder statesman role.” He said Walz could be a potential cabinet secretary or ambassador if a Democrat wins the 2028 presidential race.
Larry Jacobs, a University of Minnesota political scientist, said he was not ready to write Walz off. Jacobs described Walz as a “very talented politician who brings some unique skill sets” to the Democratic Party, and he said it is easy to say “no future” after pulling out—but that he thinks such a view could be shortsighted.
Jacobs said there could be a spot in a year or two when Walz could run for U.S. Senate. He also said he is not sure a cabinet secretary role is in the cards, saying Walz’s national profile as a vice presidential candidate did not leave him in high standing and that there is a perception he was “out of his league.”
The report said Walz earns about $127,000 a year as governor and has listed his main assets as his pension and other retirement plans, and it cited estimates that placed his and his wife’s net worth at $800,000 in a 2024 Wall Street Journal analysis and at just over $1 million in a Forbes estimate.
Jacobs said Walz will need employment, suggesting he might find a new niche such as in the foundation world, but Jacobs said he does not think Walz is someone who will retire in the near future.