Tim Walz says he'll never seek elected office again
The Minnesota governor unexpectedly announced this month that he wouldn't run for re-election.
Jan. 28, 2026, 9:17 PM CST
By Raquel Coronell Uribe
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that his time as an elected official will permanently end when he finishes his term as governor.
“I will never run for an elected office again. Never again,” Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, said in an interview with MS NOW.
Walz had said this month that he would not seek re-election as governor — sending shock waves through state and national politics — but he did not go so far as to say he would not consider another elected position down the line.
In explaining his decision Wednesday, Walz talked about the scenes unfolding in Minneapolis between residents and federal officers. He said he found that there are “heroes on the streets that we don’t know their names.”
“They’re never going to run for office, and those grass-tops leaders brought this administration to their knees this week to do something about it. So there’s other ways to serve, and I’ll find them,” he said.
Walz’s earlier announcement that he would not seek a third term as governor came amid heightened scrutiny of Minnesota's handling of alleged child care fraud. It also came months after Walz said he wanted to run again.
more
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/minnesota-governor-tim-walz-will-never-seek-elected-office-again-rcna256424