Tim Walz drops bid for third term as Minnesota governor

ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, is ending his bid for a third term as President Donald Trump focuses relentlessly on a fraud investigation into the state’s child care programs and its Somali community.

Less than four months after announcing his re-election campaign, Walz said Monday that negative attention and Republican attacks have contributed to an “extraordinarily difficult year for our state,” preventing him from serving as full-time governor while running for office.

“Every minute I spend advocating for my own political interests would be a minute I cannot spend defending Minnesotans against criminals who take advantage of our generosity and cynics who want to take advantage of our differences,” Walz said at the state capitol. “So I have decided to withdraw from this race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work ahead of me for next year.”

Walz did not take questions from reporters after speaking for about seven minutes, much of which involved repeating his previous 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’s refusal to fund 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 to have uncovered widespread fraud at day care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis. But the Trump administration cited the video in its decision to cut off some federal funding streams, and the video’s creator, Nick Shirley, was happy to take credit for the governor’s decision.

“I DONE TIM WALZ,” Shirley posted Monday on social media.

Trump wrote on social media that Walz was not running “because he was caught red-handed” for “stealing tens of billions of dollars from taxpayers,” an accusation against the governor that lacked evidence despite widely acknowledged fraud problems. The president said Walz “destroyed the state of Minnesota.”

Candidates to replace Walz

Walz’s exit disrupts the contest in a Democratic-leaning state that Republicans have insisted they can win. Democrats hold 24 of the 50 gubernatorial seats nationwide, with 36 seats, including Minnesota, up for grabs this year.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is considering entering the race in Minnesota, according to a person close to her. The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the senator, who is running for president in 2020, had not made a final decision.

A dozen Republicans are already candidates. Among them is MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell, an election denier and 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 nominee; state Rep. Kristin Robbins, of Maple Grove; defense attorney and former federal prosecutor Chris Madel; former executive Kendall Qualls; and former Minnesota GOP Chairman David Hann.

A military veteran, union supporter and former high school educator and coach, Walz helped implement an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families.

Kamala Harris chose Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election after her line of attack against Trump and his running mate, then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance – “These guys are just weird” – became widely known.

Walz has continued to build his national profile since his and Harris’ defeat in November. He sharply criticized Trump as he toured early caucuses and state primaries. In May, he called on South Carolina Democrats to stand up to the Republican president, saying, “Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner.”

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 to show up and do the work that actually makes their lives better.”

Klobuchar, posting on

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 his “failed leadership” and said the state’s next Democratic nominee “will have 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 worked diligently to resolve the problem.

A look at Walz’s time as governor

During his two terms, Walz navigated a closely divided legislature. During his first term, he served alongside a Democratic-led House and Republican-controlled Senate that resisted his proposals to use higher taxes to increase funding for schools, health care and roads. But he helped negotiate compromises.

He used the office’s emergency power during the COVID-19 pandemic to close businesses and schools, sparking a Republican backlash.

Republicans also criticized Walz for what they saw as his slow response to the 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.

During 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 state restrictions on abortion passed in the past by Republicans, protected gender-affirming care for transgender youth and legalized recreational marijuana use. Walz and his Democratic colleagues also implemented free school meals for all students as well as a paid family and medical leave program that launched on January 1.

That record, combined with Walz’s rural background and experience representing southern Minnesota in Congress, put him on Harris’ radar after she replaced Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic field. After a whirlwind search, she settled on Walz over other candidates, including Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Walz received a warm reception from Democratic voters, but drew mixed reviews for his lone debate against Vance.

Most recently, Walz was frustrated in his efforts to pass new gun control measures following a mass shooting last August at Annunciation School in Minneapolis that left two people dead and dozens injured. He had hoped to call a special session to consider a list of gun safety proposals.

Barrow reported from Atlanta.