Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Drops His Bid For Re-Election
Tim Walz I'm Dropping Out Of The Governor's Race!
Published
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced he was dropping his bid for re-election and wouldn't seek a third consecutive term on Monday.
The politician, who has been in office as Minnesota's governor since 2019, shared a statement on his social media accounts to explain his reasoning for dropping out of the gubernatorial race, which he joined last September.
Minnesota has to come first - always.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 5, 2026 @GovTimWalz
Today, I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make Minnesota the best place to live and raise kids.
I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work. pic.twitter.com/AYbvcOzyPI
Walz stated he wouldn't be able to devote all of his effort to his re-election campaign while fighting for his own political interests, and said he'd prefer to "focus on the work" and let another politician fill the governor's seat.
Walz said he had "zero regret" about the decision and said he was confident another Democrat would be elected in the future.
He denounced what he described as "political gamesmanship" from Donald Trump and other Republicans and said his political allies would continue to fight back against pressure from the other side of the aisle.
Walz also singled out Trump's "demonizing" of Minnesota's sizable Somali population as an instance of divisiveness being present within the state's politics.
He added he'd likely find ways to make political contributions to Minnesota's government after his term as the state's governor ends next January.
Although Walz didn't name a successor in his message, he reportedly spoke with Senator Amy Klobuchar about the prospect of her running for governor over the weekend, according to The Guardian.
