Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has ended his reelection bid amid mounting pressure over a fraud scandal that has engulfed his administration in recent weeks.
The move comes days after a handful of Republican state lawmakers asked Walz to leave office, citing reports from a U.S. Attorney that, since 2018, at least half of the $18 billion paid through Minnesota's 14 Medicaid waiver programs could be fraudulent. They argued Walz had done nothing about the "crisis."
Walz cited the growing pressure among the reasons for his decision to leave the race.
"As I reflected on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all," he said.
"So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work," Walz continued in the statement.
