Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, announced Monday that he will not seek a third term after all, opening up the gubernatorial race in the blue-leaning state.
Walz’s decision to reverse course and drop out of the race comes as he faces scrutiny over a statewide fraud scandal regarding social service programs that has drawn attacks from President Donald Trump and other Republicans. Walz alluded to those pressures in a statement Monday.
“Every minute I spend defending my own political interests 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 prey on our differences,” he said. “So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.”
The fraud scandal, which has attracted increasing attention in recent weeks, had become a political liability for Walz, who had comfortably won gubernatorial races in 2018 and 2022. A federal prosecutor said last month that billions in federal funds to support programs in Minnesota may have been stolen due to fraud.
Walz said that his administration had worked to counter fraud in the state but blamed Republicans for “political gamesmanship” that was making the fight more difficult.
In his statement, which he read to reporters Monday at the State Capitol in St. Paul without taking questions, Walz condemned Trump and his allies, who have used the scandal to attack the state’s Somali American population — the majority of people charged in the fraud cases have been of Somali descent.
They “want to make our state a colder, meaner place, Walz said. “They want to poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbors. And, ultimately, they want to take away much of what makes Minnesota the best place in America to raise a family.”
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee invited Walz, as well as state Attorney General Keith Ellison, to testify before the panel in February about fraud in the state’s social programs. The committee is set to hold an initial hearing on the topic this week.
Walz, a former congressman who served six terms in the House before being elected governor, leaped into the national spotlight after Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate in 2024. He was a public school teacher before entering politics and served in the Army National Guard for two decades.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, who previously chaired the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, praised Walz as someone who entered “public life for the right reasons.”
“In the months ahead, Tim will continue doing what he’s done throughout his career: standing up to Donald Trump, defending Minnesota’s values, and fighting for working people, while creating the opportunity for new leadership to give everything they have to the next chapter ahead,” Martin said in a statement.
Several Republicans are already in the race for governor, including state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, former state Sen. Scott Jensen, state Rep. Kristin Robbins, former congressional hopeful Kendall Qualls, former federal prosecutor Chris Madel and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who holds the No. 3 spot in Senate Democratic leadership, met with Walz about his decision on Sunday and is seen as a possible candidate to succeed him, according to reports.
Klobuchar would not need to vacate her seat to run for Minnesota governor, having been reelected to a six-year term in 2024. If elected governor, she would be able to appoint her Senate successor.
The state’s other Senate seat is open this year with Democrat Tina Smith retiring. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are locked in a competitive primary for the Democratic nomination, although Republicans have not yet landed a high-profile recruit.
Republicans see the Minnesota fraud scandal as a potential political opening this year in a state where they haven’t won a statewide election since 2006.
“The seriously retired Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Democrats like Peggy Flanagan and Angie Craig oversaw massive fraud that has hurt Minnesotans, and their failed leadership puts Minnesota in play for Republicans in 2026,” Nick Puglia, a regional press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement.
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is set to hold its endorsing convention in late May, but primaries to determine official nominees are scheduled for August.
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