Gov. Tim Walz's turn from vice-presidential candidate to dropping out of 2026 governor's race

Washington — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Monday that he won't seek reelection, a surprise exit from politics less than 18 months after the Democrat was chosen to be the party's nominee for vice president.

Walz was seeking an unprecedented third straight term as Minnesota's governor. But the 180 came amid intense scrutiny over fraud schemes in the North Star State, which has seen a resurgence in recent weeks.

While Walz is not implicated in the fraud issues, the reality that the schemes have become an urgent problem under his watch has enveloped talk of the Minnesotan governor's future political ambitions.

From VP pick to ending his reelection bid

Walz, a former high school social studies teacher, coach and congressman who served in the Nebraska and Minnesota Army National Guards, vaulted into the national political scene during the summer of 2024 as Democratic President Joe Biden faced questions about whether he should stay in the presidential race following a disastrous debate performance.

After Biden dropped out of the race and former Vice President Kamala Harris was tapped to lead the ticket, Harris turned to Walz as her pick for vice president, opting for the former football coach from a blue state over contenders from more traditional presidential battlegrounds.

Democrats rallied around Harris and Walz, and the Minnesota governor's stripped-back, folksy style — like describing Republican candidates as "weird" — seemed to add to the ticket's appeal. But a lackluster performance during that fall's vice presidential debate did little to help the party avoid stinging losses in November 2024.

In the wake of that loss, Walz held nationally-focused town halls in several states while also being seen as a potential candidate for the 2028 presidential election. Last year, he announced he would run for a third term as governor.

An uproar over Minnesota fraud

Walz's name came back into the national spotlight in recent months, amid calls to investigate a series of multimillion-dollar pandemic fraud schemes in Minnesota. Though Walz isn't implicated in the scheme, he's served as the state's governor since 2019, and his administration has faced years of local scrutiny over their handling of fraud.

During the Biden administration in 2022, federal prosecutors in Minnesota filed charges in what they described as the "largest pandemic fraud in the United States," which revolved around a welfare program that partnered with the Minnesota Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute meals to children. Republican officials have argued for years that Minnesota was slow to act in the scheme, and failed to carry out due diligence. But the issue saw a resurgence late last year.

The criticism over Minnesota fraud rose to the top GOP ranks, and President Trump directed his ire over the issue at Walz, including with a post on Truth Social on Thanksgiving where he used a slur for people with intellectual disabilities to describe the Minnesota governor. And the Treasury Department said last month that it would investigate whether tax dollars from Minnesota's public assistance programs made their way to the al Qaeda affiliate al Shabaab, which is based in Somalia. Meanwhile, House Republicans on the Oversight Committee launched an investigation into Walz's handling of the fraud cases.

Walz: "I can't give a political campaign my all"

Scrutiny over the fraud scandal hasn't died down in recent weeks. And in his statement announcing an end to his gubernatorial bid, Walz cited the scheme.

Walz acknowledged that in recent years, "an organized group of criminals have sought to take advantage of our state's generosity," adding that "even as we make progress in the fight against the fraudsters, we now see an organized group of political actors seeking to take advantage of the crisis."

"I won't mince words here. Donald Trump and his allies – in Washington, in St. Paul, and online – 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."

Walz outlined his administration's effort to combat fraud, saying "across the state, Minnesotans are hard at work on this problem." But he said there's "more to do," and "the buck stops with me."

The second-term governor said while he announced a reelection bid in September, he's come to the conclusion in recent weeks that "I can't give a political campaign my all," specifically citing the fraud scandal.

"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," Walz said. "So I've decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work."

In a statement on Walz's decision, Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 House Republican, simply said, "Good riddance."

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