MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
To Minnesota, because today, Democratic Governor Tim Walz announced he will not run for a third term. Allegations of fraud in the state related to COVID-era programs have again focused national attention on Walz. He was, of course, the former Democratic vice presidential candidate. Here he is earlier today.
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TIM WALZ: I came to the conclusion that I can't give a political campaign my all. Every minute that I spend defending my own political interest would be a minute I can't spend defending the people of Minnesota.
KELLY: Perhaps his loudest critic has been President Trump. In response to the fraud allegations, the Trump administration is freezing some federal funding in the state and across the country. Dana Ferguson is a political correspondent at Minnesota Public Radio. Hey there, Dana.
DANA FERGUSON, BYLINE: Hey, Mary Louise.
KELLY: How else did Walz explain this decision today not to run for reelection as governor?
FERGUSON: Yeah, he said that the buck stops with him when it comes to fraud and state programs. And this isn't a new issue here. State officials - including Walz - investigators and prosecutors have been dealing with this for years, but the federal government has really spotlighted it over the course of just the last few weeks. In the press conference today, Walz laid into President Trump, saying his administration's move to pause child care funding is hurting Minnesota families, and he says the president's comments about Somali people alleged to have engaged in fraud are harmful. Ultimately, Walz said running for another term would pull him away from the work of rooting out fraud in government programs.
KELLY: OK, you said Governor Walz laid into President Trump today. What's President Trump saying about this?
FERGUSON: Yeah. Trump came out on Truth Social today celebrating the news that Walz won't run again. Trump said Walz had destroyed the state of Minnesota and went on to say no one is above the law. In the last few weeks, Trump has dispatched several federal agencies to investigate fraud in the state and has cut off some loans and child care payments for folks here. His administration alleges federal programs have been subject to fraud. The administration has also moved to freeze federal child care funding across the country.
KELLY: And just to focus us on Minnesota and take...
FERGUSON: Yeah.
KELLY: ...President Trump and his administration out of this for a sec, the significance of Walz's departure from this race for governor?
FERGUSON: Yeah, it's a big deal. Walz has been in the office for almost eight years. Before that, he represented southern Minnesota in Congress, and he gained national attention for running as vice president alongside Kamala Harris in 2024. He also had a huge war chest for his campaign. More than a dozen Republicans here have filed to challenge Governor Walz, and they all really counted on the vulnerability around this issue of fraud. Now that he's stepped aside, a new Democratic candidate could come forward who doesn't have the same sort of baggage.
KELLY: And do we have any names being floated yet for who that new Democratic candidate might be?
FERGUSON: Well, we have at least one. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is weighing a bid. She would be a strong contender because she's been in office almost two decades and has strong name recognition. We haven't heard other Democrats shift lanes to run at this point, but that could happen in the next few days.
No matter who emerges as a Democratic candidate, Republicans have consistently said they'll essentially just be like an extension of Governor Walz's term. And they say Democrats broadly allowed for fraud, so they should be held accountable, and they say the office needs a shakeup. One of the first steps we have here in Minnesota to pick candidates is called precinct caucuses, and those are just a month away, so candidates kind of need to figure things out here in a hurry.
KELLY: Thank you, Dana.
FERGUSON: You're welcome.
KELLY: That's Dana Ferguson with Minnesota Public Radio. And again, the news today - Democratic Governor Tim Walz announcing he will not run for a third term.
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