Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) announced Monday that he would not seek a third term, saying he was “passing on the race with zero sadness and zero regret.”
The announcement follows a series of fraud investigations, widely circulated by conservative journalists, that documented multiple schemes costing Minnesota taxpayers millions of dollars during Walz’s tenure.
In a letter posted to X, Walz argued that “for the last several years, an organized group of criminals has sought to take advantage of our state’s generosity,” arguing that even as the state makes progress against fraud, “an organized group of political actors” is now seeking to “take advantage of the crisis.”
Prosecutors allege the fraud scheme totaled as much as $9 billion, a figure Walz’s administration disputes, saying internal reviews indicate losses in the tens of millions of dollars. State officials claim they had taken steps to address the issue, including auditing more than a dozen Medicaid services.
According to two anonymous sources briefed on conversations between the two politicians who spoke with The New York Times, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) met with Gov. Tim Walz before he announced he was ending his bid for a third term, and signaled interest in running for governor. She has not yet made a formal announcement.
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