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Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) speaks to reporters during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 3, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said on Jan. 6 that she is actively weighing a bid for Minnesota governor, a day after Gov. Tim Walz abandoned his reelection campaign amid mounting fallout from a sweeping welfare-fraud scandal that has complicated prospects for the Democratic Party in the state.
Walz has served as governor since 2019 and won reelection in 2022 with about 1.3 million votes, defeating Republican Scott Jensen. With Walz stepping aside, Democrats face a contest likely to be defined by public trust, accountability, and the state’s response to allegations of fraud.
“I love my job, I love my state, and I’m seriously considering it,” Klobuchar told CNN in a brief hallway interview as she walked onto the Senate floor for a vote. She did not provide a timeline for a decision.
Walz’s withdrawal has opened the door to a potentially crowded and high-stakes race in a state where partisan control is closely divided. Walz, on Jan. 6, declined to weigh in on a successor, telling reporters that he had spoken with Klobuchar and other key allies, and that he believes the Democratic Party has “a very deep bench” and will win the gubernatorial race.
Klobuchar, a veteran politician who previously served as Hennepin County attorney in Minneapolis, has represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate since 2007. She sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, exiting the race after a weak performance in early contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. A gubernatorial run would mark her first bid for executive office since entering national politics.
Democratic Support Builds Around Possible Klobuchar Bid
Within hours of Walz’s decision, lawmakers from the Democratic Party and donors began to coalesce around Klobuchar’s potential candidacy.
Minnesota state Sen. Grant Hauschild, a Democrat who represents a rural district, on Jan. 6 voiced enthusiasm for a Klobuchar run.
“I’m so excited that Senator @amyklobuchar is considering a run for Governor,” Hauschild said in a post on X. “As a former county attorney, she is uniquely qualified to take on fraud and restore trust.”
Klobuchar “just gets” Minnesota, Hauschild said in a follow-up post, citing her popularity across the state and adding, “Now we need her as Governor.”
Walz Steps Aside Amid Fraud Scrutiny
Minnesota has been in the spotlight following allegations of large-scale fraud tied to COVID-19 pandemic-era relief programs and child-care subsidies.
The Trump administration recently froze certain federal child care funds pending documentation that facilities meet federal standards, and federal prosecutors have indicted dozens of defendants in what authorities describe as a roughly $250 million scheme involving wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. The Small Business Administration has also suspended thousands of Minnesota borrowers from future loan programs after reviewing pandemic-related approvals.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks outside the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, 2025. Bruce Kluckhohn/AP Photo
On Jan. 5, Walz announced he would not seek a third term, saying he had concluded, after discussions with family and advisers, that he could not campaign and address what he described as extensive fraud targeting state and federal programs.
“Every minute 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 prey on our differences,” Walz said in a statement posted to X. “So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.”
Speaking to reporters for the first time since his announcement, Walz said on Jan. 6 that he takes accountability for the fraud scandal and pushed back against Republican demands that he resign.
“I’m not going anywhere. And you can make all your requests for me to resign. Over my dead body will that happen,” Walz said. “I will fight this thing till the very end to make this state better.”
Addressing the fraud scandal, Walz said that “the buck stops with me.”
“I’m accountable for this,” he said. “And because of that accountability, I’m not running for office again.”
Courtney Alexander, communications director for the Republican Governors Association, told The Epoch Times in an earlier emailed statement that Walz’s decision not to run again was unsurprising and that any nominee for the Democratic Party would have to defend “years of mismanagement and misplaced priorities,” adding that “Walz’s failed leadership is emblematic of Minnesota Democrats’ agenda.”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear at the White House in Washington, in an undated file photograph. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
By contrast, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), described Walz as a leader who has delivered results for the middle class.
“No matter who decides to run or how much national Republicans want to spend, the DGA remains very confident Minnesotans will elect another strong Democratic governor this November,” Beshear said in a Jan. 5 statement.
Republicans already in the Minnesota gubernatorial race include former nominee Scott Jensen, state Rep. Peggy Bennett, and Mike Lindell, CEO of My Pillow.
Speaking at a recent rally, Trump said Lindell suffered a great deal after raising questions about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, which Trump has repeatedly said was beset by fraud.
“He fought like hell,” Trump said. “That guy deserves to be governor of Minnesota, I'll tell you that.”
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
