Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Monday that he is dropping his reelection bid for a third term as criticism over a welfare-fraud scandal in his state intensifies.
“As I reflected on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all,” Walz said in a statement. “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, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2024, spent the weekend discussing his plans with friends and advisers. He met with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Sunday, two people familiar with the matter told CNN, as the Democratic senator considers whether to jump into the race.
CNN has reached out to Klobuchar for comment.
A deepening federal probe into a sweeping fraud scandal in Minnesota complicated Walz’s bid for an unprecedented third term. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but Republicans have sought to blame Walz and Democrats for the massive abuse of taxpayer dollars.
“For the last several years, an organized group of criminals have sought to take advantage of our state’s generosity,” Walz said in his statement. “And 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.”
Minnesota officials have until January 9 to provide the Trump administration with information about providers and parents who receive federal funds for child care.
The Trump administration’s demands are the latest step in a yearslong saga that started with investigations into theft of government funds in Minnesota under the Biden administration.
In his statement announcing his decision, Walz took aim at President Donald Trump, accusing him of seeking to politicize the scandal by attacking the Somali population in Minnesota.
“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,” he said. “They want to poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbors.”
Walz is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. CT (12:00 p.m. ET) on Monday in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Klobuchar, who was elected to a fourth term in 2024, is a former prosecutor. She serves in Senate leadership, but over the years has privately expressed interest in being governor and serving as a chief executive. She sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.
