“Minnesota has to come first – always,” Walz wrote moments ago on X. “Today, I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make Minnesota the best place to live and raise kids.”
His announcement lands as a widening federal investigation into alleged child care fraud continues to roil Minnesota politics. While Walz has not been accused of any wrongdoing, Republicans have pinned blame on his administration and Democratic leaders for what they describe as years of unchecked abuse of taxpayer-funded programs.
State officials face a Jan. 9 deadline to turn over information to the Trump administration regarding Somali child care providers and parents receiving federal funds.
Walz is scheduled to address the decision publicly at a news conference set for 11 a.m. CT Monday in St. Paul.
Klobuchar, elected to a fourth Senate term in 2024, is a former prosecutor and a member of Senate leadership. She has privately expressed interest over the years in returning home to serve as governor and previously ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.
