Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he will run for a third term in 2026 on Monday.
Walz, a failed vice presidential nominee who has become a vocal critic of President Donald Trump in his second term, launched his reelection bid after ruling out a run for president in July. The two-term governor is likely to face a competitive Republican challenger in a state that the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket of former Vice President Kamala Harris and himself won by roughly five percentage points.
“We’ve made historic progress in our state, but we’re not done yet,” Walz wrote in a post on the social media platform X announcing his run for a third term. “I’m staying in the fight — and I need you with me.”
Minnesota is among a handful of states that allow incumbent governors to seek reelection for more than two consecutive terms. Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is also running for a third term in 2026.
Walz also recently sparked controversy by appearing to wish for President Donald Trump’s death during a speech on Sept. 2 in front of supporters.
“You get up in the morning and you doom scroll through things and although I will say this, you woke up the last few days thinking there might be news,” the Minnesota Democrat said in a reference to the false #TrumpIsDead hashtags that spread across social media over Labor Day weekend. “Just saying, just saying. There will be news sometime, just so you know. There will be news.”
Walz also raged about Trump supporters’ “stupid, frickin’ red hat” during a speech at the Democratic National Committee’s summer meeting in Minneapolis in August.
“Think of how easy it would be to be a damn Republican. Oh, what should I wear today? This stupid, frickin’ red hat,” Walz said. “What should I say today? I don’t know, just make sure it’s cruel.”
Several Minnesota Republicans have lined up to challenge Walz’ reelection bid, including state Rep. Kristin Robbins and former state senator Scott Jensen, who lost to him in 2022.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as “likely Democrat.”
Walz has called for a special legislative session to pass gun control legislation in Minnesota following a mass shooting and political assassination that have left two Catholic school children and a state lawmaker and her husband dead.
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