Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the losing 2024 Democratic vice-presidential candidate, said Monday he won’t run for reelection this fall amid a still-growing child care fraud scandal.
Less than four months after launching his campaign for a third term, Walz said he could no longer devote the energy necessary to win another term while navigating the fallout from the scandal, even though he hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing.
“I can’t give a political campaign my all,” Walz said, acknowledging that 2026 is shaping up as an “extraordinarily difficult year for our state.”
Walz, who ran as Kamala Harris’ 2026 running mate after former President Biden abruptly ended his reelection bid, slammed Trump for his relentless focus on the scandal that MAGA conservative influencers have blamed on Somali immigrants.
“Donald Trump and his allies … 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.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), a former presidential candidate perhaps the most recognizable other political figure in the state, is considering running for governor, according to a person close to her.
AP
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, left, and MyPillow founder and Trump supporter Mike Lindell, right, are among the possible contenders for Minnesota governor in 2026. (AP)
Several Republicans are already planning to run for governor, including controversial far right-wing Trump loyalist Mike Lindell. But most analysts say the race would still be a Democratic candidate’s to lose, given the state’s expected blue lean in a midterm where Trump is in the White House.
Walz is a former teacher, military veteran and union supporter who helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families.
Harris picked Walz as her running mate after he went viral by attacking Trump and then vice presidential candidate JD Vance as “weird.”
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz laugh after taking a selfie in front of a sign that reads “Kamala and The Coach” during a campaign stop in Glendale, Arizona in August. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The folksy Walz had been building up his national profile since the 2024 loss and was considered a potential 2028 Democratic presidential primary contender.
A former moderate swing district congressman, Walz was criticized in his first term over what Republicans categorized as a shaky response to sometimes violent unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. But he easily won reelection in 2022.
In his second term, Walz charted a liberal course. Minnesota eliminated nearly all of the state abortion restrictions enacted in the past by Republicans, protected gender-affirming care for transgender youth and legalized the recreational use of marijuana.
The Trump administration says it may cut off funds to Minnesota amid a probe alleging massive fraud at child care centers run by Somali immigrants that was amplified by MAGA influencers. Democrats say the White House is using the scandal as an excuse to further its anti-immigrant crusade.
