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Tim Walz pulls out of government race amid Minnesota day care fraud row: ‘Zero sadness and zero regret’
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announces he will not seek reelection amid scrutiny over fraud row.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Monday morning that he will not seek reelection. The move follows his high-profile role as former Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in her unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign and as his administration faces intense scrutiny over a fraud scandal in the state, as reported by CNBC.
Tim Walz opts out of government race
In his announcement on Monday, Walz said Minnesota has made progress in addressing fraud and acknowledged that people are right to be concerned about misconduct in government. He added, however, that there is now “an organized group of political actors seeking to take advantage of the crisis,” as reported by The Guardian.
He continued, “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. They want to poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbors.” Walz also said, "And, ultimately, they want to take away much of what makes Minnesota the best place in America to raise a family. They’ve already begun by taking our tax dollars that were meant to help families afford child care. And they have no intention of stopping there.”
Walz said that the “buck stops with me” when it comes to fighting and preventing fraud, but argued that Republicans' “political gamesmanship” has made those efforts more difficult.
In his statement, he said, “I cannot abide the actions of the political leadership in Washington – these opportunists who are willing to hurt our people to score a few cheap points.” He continued, "They and their allies have no intention of helping us solve the problem – and every intention of profiting off of it.”
Walz said he believes he could have won a third term if he devoted himself fully to a reelection campaign, but concluded he was not in a position to do so. Instead, he said he will focus on teh responsibilities of his office rather than running again. Walz added that he made the decision with “zero sadness and zero regret” and expressed confidence that a Democrat would retain teh governor's office in November.
“Most of all, I want Minnesotans to know that I’m on the job, 24/7, focused on making sure we stay America’s best place to live and raise kids. No one will take that away from us. Not the fraudsters. And not the president. Not on my watch,” he concluded.
He is scheduled to address the decision during a press conference on Monday at 11 am CT.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, who sought the democratic presidential nomination in 2020, is considering a run for Minnesota governor following Walz's decision not to seek reelection, The New York Times reported on Monday.
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Recent fraud allegations in Minnesota
In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly targeted Minnesota and Walz, including by ordering a surge of immigration enforcement agents to teh state. Those agents have stopped US citizens and detained hundreds of people, actions that have drawn sustained backlash from local communities. Over the weekend, Trump also amplified a conspiracy theory about the killings of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, close friends of Walz, attempting to link the governor to the deaths, as reported by The Guardian.
Last month, YouTuber Nick Shirley attempted to enter several daycare centers while claiming they were failing to properly care for children, an incident that later contributed to the federal government freezing childcare funding for the state.
