In a brief news conference on Monday, Walz read a statement he released earlier in the morning and said he’d take questions on Tuesday.

Tim Walz has never lost an election in Minnesota. That record will remain intact following his Monday announcement that he is dropping out of the race for reelection to a third term as governor. Turns out being the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2024 was the worst thing that ever happened to Walz’s political career.

Make no mistake: We should be concerned about fraud in our state government. We cannot effectively deliver programs and services if we can’t earn the public’s trust. That’s why, over the past few years, we’ve made systemic changes to the way we do business.

Also not available for an interview Monday was Walz. At 11 this morning at the State Capitol, Walz read verbatim the remarks he made public three hours earlier — he was dropping out of the governor’s race because of the mushrooming Medicaid fraud scandal.

Facing mounting fraud scandals and fierce clashes with Trump, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ends his reelection bid, opening the door for Amy Klobuchar and a high-stakes 2026 governor’s race.

Governor Tim Walz has announced that he would not seek a third term as Governor of Minnesota, leaders have begun to share their reactions.

Trump official halts $5.5 million in Minnesota SBA aid, citing "endemic" fraud under Gov. Walz's leadership in 2025 federal crackdown on welfare abuse.