ST PAUL, Minn. (AP) β Minnesota Gov.Β Tim Walz, Democrats’ 2024 candidate for vice president, is ending his bid for a third term as governor amid President Donald Trumpβs relentless focus on a fraud investigation intoΒ child care programsΒ in the state.
Less than four months after announcingΒ his reelection campaign, Walz said Monday that he could no longer devote the energy necessary to win another term, even as he expressed confidence that he could win.
Walz said in a statement Monday that he “canβt give a political campaign my allβ after what he described as an βextraordinarily difficult year for our state.β
βDonald Trump and his allies β in Washington, in St. Paul, and online β want to make our state a colder, meaner place,β Walz said, referring to the Trump administration withholding funds for the programs. βThey 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.β
Democratic Sen.Β Amy KlobucharΒ of Minnesota is considering running for governor, according to a person close to her. The person, who wasnβt authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Klobuchar has not made a final decision.
Around a dozen Republicans are already in the race. They include MyPillow founder and chief executiveΒ Mike Lindell, an election denier who is close to Trump. They also include MinnesotaΒ House Speaker Lisa Demuth, of Cold Spring;Β Dr. Scott Jensen, a former state senator from Chaska who was the partyβs 2022 candidate; state Rep. Kristin Robbins, of Maple Grove; defense lawyer andΒ former federal prosecutorΒ Chris Madel; former executiveΒ Kendall Qualls; and former Minnesota GOP Chair David Hann.
Walz is a 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.
Vice President Kamala HarrisΒ picked Walz as her running mate afterΒ his attack lineΒ against Trump and his running mate, then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance β βThese guys are just weirdβ β spread widely.
Walz had been building up his national profile since his and Harris’ defeat in November. He wasΒ a sharp criticΒ of Trump as he touredΒ early caucusΒ and primary states. In May, heΒ called on DemocratsΒ in South Carolina to stand up to the Republican president, saying, βMaybe itβs time for us to be a little meaner.β
Through two terms as governor, Walz has moved a liberal agenda through a closely divided legislature. In his first term, he navigated a Democratic-led House and a 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 officeβs emergency power during the COVID-19 pandemic to shutter businesses and close schools, promptingΒ Republican pushback.
Republicans also were critical of Walz over what they saw as his slow response to sometimes violent unrest that followedΒ the killing of George FloydΒ by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
In his second term, Walz worked with Democratic majorities in both legislative chambers to chart a more liberal course in state government, aided byΒ a huge budget surplus. MinnesotaΒ eliminated nearly allΒ of the state abortion restrictions enacted in the past by Republicans,Β protected gender-affirming careΒ for transgender youth and legalizedΒ the recreational use of marijuana.
That, combined with Walzβs rural background and experience representing southern Minnesota in Congress, landed him on cHarrisβ radar as she considered potential running mates in her 2024 presidential bid.Β After a whirlwind search, she opted for Walz over other candidates including North Carolinaβs Roy Cooper, Kentuckyβs Andy Beshear, PennsylvaniaβsΒ Josh ShapiroΒ and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Walz got a warm welcome from Democratic voters but drew mixed reviews for hisΒ lone debateΒ against his Vance.
Minnesota has leaned Democratic in presidential and statewide contests in recent decades. Walz won his second term in 2022 by nearly 8 percentage points, but Trump narrowed Democratsβ advantage to less than 5 points in 2024.
