Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Thursday she will run for governor of Minnesota, after Tim Walz's surprise announcement earlier this month that he was dropping his bid for a third term.
The move from Klobuchar, who is serving her fourth term as senator, further shakes up Democratic politics in a blue-leaning state that has emerged as the latest target of President Donald Trump's attacks and immigration crackdown.
"I believe we must stand up for what's right, and fix what's wrong. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for governor of the state of Minnesota," Klobuchar announced in a video she posted on X.
Klobuchar cited pressing issues such as the affordability of health care and housing in Minnesota, adding, "And I'm running for every Minnesotan who wants ICE and its abusive tactics out of the state we love."
No other major Democrats have gotten into the race following Walz's decision to not seek re-election — state Attorney General Keith Ellison said earlier in January that he wouldn't run — and Klobuchar's profile is likely to keep the field clear for her.
Her entrance into the race comes at a pivotal and chaotic time for the state.
Walz’s Jan. 5 decision not to run again came just months after he’d launched an aborted re-election campaign — and amid heightened scrutiny of the state’s handling of alleged child care fraud.
Two days later, Renée Nicole Good, 37, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, triggering protests and outcry across the country. Weeks after that, Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, also 37, in Minneapolis, with witness video contradicting the Trump administration's description of events.
The scale and aggression demonstrated by the increased presence of ICE agents has shocked many residents of the state and prompted aggressive criticism from Democrats.
In her announcement video, Klobuchar mentioned the chaotic and deadly incidents that have occurred since Trump surged federal immigration agents into the state.
"Minnesota, we've been through a lot," Klobuchar said, specifically referring to the shooting deaths of Good and Pretti, as well as other instances of violence, including a mass shooting at a Minneapolis church over the summer and the assassinations of the state’s former House speaker, Melissa Hortman, and her husband earlier last year.
"These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps for this administration, but who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state," Klobuchar said. "These times call for grit and resilience."
Speaking on NBC News' "Meet the Press" the day after the second Minneapolis shooting, Klobuchar said that federal immigration agents were making Minnesota "less safe" and that "the way that this agency has been functioning is completely against every tenet of law enforcement."
Klobuchar also said she planned to vote against a government funding package that includes money for the Department of Homeland Security.
Meanwhile, the alleged fraud scandal that Walz cited as the main reason he would not run for a third term has become a central focus of the Trump administration and its justification of its sending ICE agents into Minnesota.
An alleged $250 million fraud scheme surrounding the nonprofit Feeding Our Future has been the subject of a yearslong Justice Department investigation that has involved members of Minnesota’s Somali community. Dozens of suspects were indicted in 2022, but conservative influencers have more recently pushed additional unsubstantiated allegations they say are part of a broader scandal.
In her announcement video, Klobuchar said she would tackle fraud in her state, referring to her time prosecuting criminals as the Hennepin County attorney.
“I will make sure the people who steal taxpayer money go to jail and root out the fraud by changing the way state government works,” she said. “I will do my job without fear or favor. I’ve never shied away from taking on the powerful.”
In addition to Walz, who was Democrats' 2024 vice presidential nominee, Sen. Tina Smith is also not seeking re-election this year, leading to a competitive Democratic primary to replace her that includes Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig.
If Klobuchar, who is not up for re-election to the Senate until 2030, were to win the governorship, she would likely be in position to appoint her replacement until a special election occurred. The winner of that special election would then serve the remainder of Klobuchar’s term.
Minnesota law allows the governor to temporarily appoint a senator to fill a vacancy. Whether Walz or the next governor would make that decision would depend on the timing of Klobuchar's resignation if she won the gubernatorial race.
Republicans are already staring down a crowded gubernatorial primary. The group running includes Scott Jensen, the former state senator whom Walz defeated in 2022, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, state Rep. Kristin Robbins and businessman Kendall Qualls.
Minnesota hasn’t elected a Republican governor in almost two decades.
Klobuchar was first elected to the Senate in 2006 after having served as the county attorney of Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, for eight years. She has won all four of her elections to the Senate by more than 16 percentage points.
She ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, placing fifth in the Iowa caucuses and third in the New Hampshire primary, before dropping out ahead of Super Tuesday.
Klobuchar is one of four senators running for governor of their home states this year, joining Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.
