Walz Quits Governor Race After Fraud Scandal, Handing Win to GOP

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced he wouldn’t seek re-election as Republicans intensify attacks over allegations of large-scale fraud in the state’s welfare system, giving the GOP a potential path to the governership for the first time in 15 years.

Walz’s decision marks an abrupt downfall for a politician who had vaulted into the national limelight during the 2024 presidential race when he appeared as a Democratic surrogate, calling Republicans “weird” and stressing his man-of-the-people credentials by invoking his career as a high school football coach. He later joined the ticket when he was chosen by Kamala Harris as her vice ...