Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announces he will not seek reelection

Politics

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announces he will not seek reelection

Published Mon, Jan 5 2026

9:34 AM EST

Updated 8 Min Ago

thumbnailKevin Breuninger@KevinWilliamBWATCH LIVE

Key Points

  • Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota is dropping his bid for reelection.
  • The announcement in a statement from his office came as he continues to weather heated criticism over a sweeping fraud scandal in his state.
  • Walz, who was Kamala Harris' vice presidential pick for her failed 2024 White House bid, is set to hold a press conference Monday on the "news of the day."

Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota and Democratic vice-presidential nominee, watches as US Vice President Kamala Harris, not pictured, speaks at Howard University in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. Kamala Harris has called Donald Trump to concede the election to the President-elect, a senior aide to the Vice President told Bloomberg.

Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota is dropping his bid for reelection, he announced Monday morning.

The announcement came as Walz, who was Kamala Harris' vice presidential pick for her failed 2024 White House bid, continues to weather heated criticism over a sweeping fraud scandal in his state.

"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 the 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," he said.

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

Walz is set to hold a press conference Monday at 11 a.m. CT on the "news of the day."

This is developing news. Please check back for updates.

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