Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota is dropping his bid for reelection, he announced Monday morning.
The announcement came as Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick for her failed 2024 White House bid, continues to weather heated criticism over a sweeping fraud scandal in his state.
“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,” Walz said in the statement.
“Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences,” 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,” the governor said.
