Overview
- Gov. Tim Walz announced Jan. 5 that he will not seek a third term, saying he must devote his time to the state’s fraud response rather than a campaign.
- More than 90 people have been charged in ongoing federal and state investigations tied to pandemic-era and social-service programs, with the U.S. attorney estimating potential losses from $1 billion to as high as $9 billion.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services paused federal child-care payments to Minnesota after a viral video alleging provider fraud, while a state review said the cited facilities were operating as expected.
- Walz accused President Donald Trump and Republican critics of politicizing the probes and targeting Minnesota’s Somali community, as political pressure intensified.
- Democrats are weighing successors, with reports that Sen. Amy Klobuchar has met with Walz and is considering a run, while Republicans have a crowded field including Lisa Demuth, Scott Jensen, Kristin Robbins, Kendall Qualls, Chris Madel and Mike Lindell; on Jan. 6 Walz rejected calls to resign and said he will serve out his term.