Democratic Governor Tim Walz, who served as the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2024, has announced his intention to run for a third term as Minnesota's governor.
Walz, who has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and his administration, declared his continued commitment to the state in a social media post, stating, "Weve made historic progress in our state, but were not done yet."
According to Fox News, Walz has been a prominent figure in the Democratic party, having been chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate after she replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the Democrats' national ticket. Despite his criticism of Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, describing their ticket as "just weird," Trump managed to secure victory in all seven key battleground states in the previous year's presidential election.
In his campaign launch video, Walz emphasized his dedication to protecting Minnesota from what he described as the "chaos, corruption and cruelty coming out of Washington." He also expressed his grief and anger over the lives lost to gun violence, urging unity and collective action. "Ive seen how we help each other through the hard times," Walz said. "And boy, weve seen terrible times this year. Im heartbroken and angry about the beautiful people we lost to gun violence. But its in these moments we have to come together. We cant lose hope because Ive seen what we can do when we work together."
However, Walz's tenure as governor has not been without controversy. His comparison of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Nazi Germany's Gestapo drew heavy criticism from Republicans, with congressional members calling him out during a June hearing. Walz, however, refused to apologize.
The governor, who was a high school teacher and football coach before entering politics, has been suggested as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate. However, he has stated that he would not seek the presidency if he were to run for re-election as governor in 2026.
Walz's time as Harris' running mate brought him into the national political spotlight, leading to increased scrutiny of his record as governor and his handling of the violent protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. He was also criticized for exaggerating his rank during his service with the Minnesota National Guard and for leaving the military to run for Congress ahead of his unit's deployment to Iraq.
Despite these controversies, Walz was first elected governor in 2018 with an 11-point lead and won re-election in 2022 by an 8-point margin. However, his bid for a third term challenges historical trends, as no Minnesota governor has secured a third consecutive term since the state switched to four-year terms six decades ago.
While Democratic Governors Association chair, Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas, praised Walz as a "bold leader" dedicated to improving life in Minnesota, Republican Governors Association communications director Courtney Alexander criticized Walz for aligning with liberal donors and national Democrats, arguing that "Minnesota is suffering" as a result.
As Walz prepares for his campaign, several candidates are vying for the Republican nomination, including former business executive and Army veteran Kendall Qualls and physician and former state Sen. Scott Jensen, the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee.
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