Walz, Democrats' 2024 VP pick, drops bid for third term as Minnesota
governor; Klobuchar considers
[January 06, 2026]
By STEVE KARNOWSKI and BILL BARROW
ST PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Democrats' 2024 candidate
for vice president, is ending his bid for a third term amid President
Donald Trump’s relentless focus on a fraud investigation into the
state's child care programs and its Somali community.
Less than four months after announcing his reelection campaign, Walz
said Monday that negative attention and Republican attacks have
contributed to an “extraordinarily difficult year for our state," making
it impossible for him to serve full time as governor while also being a
candidate to keep his job.
“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 at the state capitol. "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 did not take questions from reporters after speaking for about
seven minutes, much of which involved repeating his earlier written
statement announcing his decision.
“Donald Trump and his allies — in Washington, in St. Paul, and online —
want to make our state a colder, meaner place,” Walz said, referring to
the Trump administration withholding funds for the programs and the
Republican president's attacks on Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
Walz did not explicitly acknowledge the impact of a viral video from a
right-wing influencer who claimed he'd found rampant fraud at day care
centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis. But the Trump
administration has cited the video in its decision to cut off certain
federal funding streams, and the video's creator, Nick Shirley, was
happy to take credit for the governor's decision.
“I ENDED TIM WALZ,” Shirley posted Monday on social media.
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 lacked evidence despite widely
acknowledged fraud problems. The president said Walz “has destroyed the
State of Minnesota.”
The candidates to replace Walz
Walz’s exit scrambles the contest in a Democratic-leaning state that
Republicans have insisted they can win. Democrats hold 24 of 50
governor’s seats nationwide, with 36 seats, including Minnesota’s, on
the ballot this year.
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is considering entering the Minnesota
race, according to a person close to her. The person, who wasn’t
authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity,
said the senator, who ran for president in 2020, has not made a final
decision.
Around a dozen Republicans are already running. They include MyPillow
founder and chief executive Mike Lindell, an election denier who is
close to Trump. They also include 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.
A military veteran, union supporter and former high school educator and
coach, Walz helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state,
including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to
families.
Kamala Harris picked Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential
election after his attack line against Trump and his running mate,
then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance — “These guys are just weird” — spread widely.
Walz continued building his national profile since his and Harris'
defeat in November. He was a sharp critic of Trump as he toured early
caucus and primary states. In May, he called on Democrats in South
Carolina to stand up to the Republican president, saying, “Maybe it’s
time for us to be a little meaner.”
On Monday evening, Harris wrote on social media that Walz is “always
guided by what’s best for the people of Minnesota,” and “his decision
not to seek reelection reflects that same selfless commitment to the
people he serves.”
[to top of second column]
|
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, with his wife Gwen Walz looking on
announces that he would not be seeking reelection Monday, Jan. 5,
2026 in St. Paul, Minn. (Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via AP)
There were partisan reactions to Walz's announcement
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin, who led Minnesota
Democrats when Walz was first elected governor in 2018, said Walz
“entered public life for the right reasons and never lost sight of
them." Walz's guiding principle, Martin added, “has always been
showing up and doing the work that actually makes their lives
better.”
Klobuchar, posting on X, praised Walz as “a true public servant” who
made a “difficult decision” but said nothing about her own pending
choice.
Another Minnesotan, Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, was
more succinct, issuing a statement that said only: “Good riddance.”
At the Republican Governors Association, spokeswoman Courtney
Alexander blasted Walz for “failed leadership” and said the state's
next Democratic candidate “will need to defend years of
mismanagement and misplaced priorities.”
Walz stood by his stewardship, saying “a single taxpayer dollar
wasted on fraud should be intolerable" and insisting that his
administration has been working diligently to address the problem.
A look at Walz's time as governor
During his two terms, Walz navigated a closely divided legislature.
In his first term, he served alongside a Democratic-led House and
Republican-controlled Senate that resisted his proposals to use
higher taxes to boost money for schools, health care and roads. But
he helped broker compromises.
He used the office’s emergency power during the COVID-19 pandemic to
shutter businesses and schools, prompting Republican pushback.
Republicans also were critical of Walz over what they saw as his
slow response to sometimes violent unrest that followed the killing
of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer
in 2020. Walz pleaded for calm after Floyd's death but stood out as
a white political leader who expressed empathy toward Black
Americans and their experiences with police violence.
In his second term, Walz worked with Democratic majorities in both
legislative chambers to chart a more liberal course in state
government, aided by a huge budget surplus. Minnesota eliminated
nearly all the state abortion restrictions enacted in the past by
Republicans, protected gender-affirming care for transgender youths
and legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Walz and his fellow
Democrats also enacted free school meals for all students and a paid
family and medical leave program that went live on Jan. 1.
That record, combined with Walz’s rural background and experience
representing southern Minnesota in Congress, landed him on Harris’
radar after she replaced Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic
ticket. After a whirlwind search, she opted for Walz over other
candidates including North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, Kentucky’s Andy
Beshear, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro and former Transportation
Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Walz got a warm welcome from Democratic voters but drew mixed
reviews for his lone debate against Vance. Even Harris wrote in her
book about being disappointed in his performance.
More recently, Walz has been frustrated in his efforts to enact new
gun control measures following a mass shooting last August at
Annunciation School in Minneapolis, which left two children dead and
injured dozens. He had hoped to call a special session to consider a
list of gun safety proposals.
___
Barrow reported from Atlanta.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
