Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has declared he is ending his re-election campaign and will not pursue a third term in the upcoming November election amid within the state.

Walz, who served as the Democratic Party’s vice presidential candidate in the 2024 election, has faced over the past month as scrutiny intensifies amid probes revealing that state welfare agencies were extensively hit by fraud.

The 61-year-old Walz cited the scandal and broader political environment in his Monday morning statement, asserting that “political gamesmanship from Republicans” is making the fight against fraudsters “harder to win.” Explaining his decision not to run, the former teacher said that after speaking with his family and team over the festive season, he has come to the realization that he can’t give a political campaign his all and he wants to “let others worry about the election” so that he can “focus on the work.”

“Donald Trump and his allies—in Washington, in St. Paul, and online—want to make our state a colder, meaner place,” Walz claimed, referencing how the Trump Administration plans to freeze all federal funds to Minnesota child care centers in response to the instances of fraud. “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 maintained.

Walz initially won the governorship in 2018, taking over from Democrat Mark Dayton. While Minnesota has had Democratic governors for numerous years, Walz’s exit may disrupt the 2026 race dynamics. Possible replacements include Senator Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.

In the final months of 2025, Trump utilized the fraud allegations to single out Minnesota’s Somali community, charging them with “destroying” the state. He has also repeatedly a Democratic Congresswoman for Minnesota, who was born in Somalia.

Trump’s targeting of the Somali community has sparked and criticism from members of the Democratic Party. Representatives Gregory W. Meeks of New York and Sara Jacobs of California, along with Senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Cory Booker of New Jersey condemned Trump’s remarks about Somali immigrants in the U.S. in