Tim Walz Launches Campaign for Third Term as Minnesota Governor

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the failed 2024 Democrat vice presidential nominee, announced Tuesday he is running for a third term as governor.

In his announcement, Walz pledged to keep up his attacks on President Donald Trump and national Republicans.

“We’ve made historic progress in our state, but we’re not done yet,” Walz wrote on social media.

The post included a campaign launch video that took direct aim at Trump.

“I’ll never stop fighting to protect us from the chaos, corruption, and cruelty coming out of Washington,” Walz said, framing his reelection as a fight against the Trump administration.

I’m running for reelection to continue serving as Governor of Minnesota.

We’ve made historic progress in our state, but we’re not done yet. I’m staying in the fight — and I need you with me. pic.twitter.com/NsVCXfq4M2

— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) September 16, 2025

The 61-year-old Democrat, often floated as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said he was “heartbroken and angry” over recent shootings and vowed to push gun control.

He dismissed Trump and Vice President JD Vance as “just weird.”

His comments echoed rhetoric from last year’s campaign when he served as former Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate during her disastrous presidential campaign.

Trump went on to sweep all seven battleground states and reclaim the White House in a decisive victory.

Controversies Shadow Walz

Walz enters the 2026 governor’s race with heavy baggage.

He faced widespread criticism in June after comparing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Nazi Germany’s Gestapo.

Called out during a congressional hearing, Walz refused to apologize, drawing sharp rebukes from Republicans.

His record has also come under scrutiny from his time as governor and before that in Congress:

• 2020 Protests: Walz was faulted for his handling of the violent riots in Minneapolis following George Floyd’s death.

• Military Record: Walz exaggerated his rank in the Minnesota National Guard and left the military to run for Congress just before his unit deployed to Iraq.

• National Spotlight: His three months as Harris’s running mate invited new questions about his leadership as Minnesota faced rising crime and economic struggles.

A Tough Road Ahead

Walz was first elected in 2018 by 11 points and re-elected in 2022 by 8 points.

However, he faces historical precedent in 2026 as no Minnesota governor has won three consecutive terms since the state moved to four-year terms six decades ago.

Democratic Governors Association Chair, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, praised Walz as a “bold leader” focused on cutting middle-class taxes, reducing prescription drug costs, and “delivering for families.”

But Republicans blasted his record.

Courtney Alexander, communications director for the Republican Governors Association, said:

“While Tim Walz is spending his time fundraising with the nation’s most liberal donors and pushing the disastrous policies of national Democrats, Minnesota is suffering.

“Minnesotans deserve a governor who will actually do the job, work for them, and take governing seriously.

“That’s not Tim Walz.”

Two Republicans have already launched campaigns to take him on:

Kendall Qualls, a former business executive and Army veteran, and Scott Jensen, a physician and the GOP’s 2022 gubernatorial nominee.