Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dropped his reelection bid for a third term Monday as a welfare-fraud scandal in his state has intensified and become a political flashpoint seized upon by President Donald Trump.
“I can’t give a political campaign my all,” Walz told reporters at the state capitol in St. Paul. “Every minute that 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 want to prey on our differences.”
Walz read from a prepared statement and walked away without taking questions.
Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2024, reached his decision after spending the weekend discussing his plans with friends and advisers. He met with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Sunday, two people familiar with the matter told CNN, as the Democratic senator decides whether to jump into the governor’s race.
Klobuchar, who was reelected to a fourth term in 2024, has been “getting a lot of outreach, encouraging her to run,” a person close to her told CNN, and is “seriously considering it.” Klobuchar did not respond to a request for comment about her meeting with Walz.
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