Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar has announced she's running for Governor of Minnesota, seeking to replace Tim Walz after Walz dropped out amid a growing welfare fraud scandal.
Minnesotans, we’ve been through a lot.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 29, 2026
And I believe this moment calls for grit, resilience, and faith in each other.
I believe we must stand up for what’s right. And fix what’s wrong.
Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for Governor. pic.twitter.com/yVnbvmMyxO
Klobuchar has been a Senator for almost 20 years.
BREAKING: Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar launches bid for Minnesota governor just weeks after Gov. Tim Walz said he would not seek reelection, following political fallout from the state's massive fraud scandal.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 29, 2026
"These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber… pic.twitter.com/THKK4hQ4Y1
Longtime Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Thursday formally jumped into the 2026 race for Minnesota governor, three weeks after the stunning move by Gov. Tim Walz to drop his re-election bid amid political fallout from a massive fraud scandal.
Klobuchar, who just 15 months ago was handily re-elected to a fourth six-year term in the U.S. Senate, spotlighted the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota in a video released on social media.
"These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this administration, but who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state," she said.
Walz announced he was dropping his reelection bid earlier this month, saying, “In September, I announced that I would run for a historic third term as Minnesota’s Governor. And I have every confidence that, if I gave it my all, I would succeed in that effort,” Gov. Walz said in a statement. “But 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."
Earlier today, we told you Walz said his political career is officially over, and that he'll find other ways to serve the people, adding he was a "lightning rod" for the Trump administration.
🚨 JUST IN: Sen. Amy Klobuchar is running for GOVERNOR of Minnesota to replace Tim Walz
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 29, 2026
She will be NO DIFFERENT!
Minnesota voters must wake up and flip RED. She would be an utter disaster and allow even more fraud!
pic.twitter.com/iEhu3xevJy
Several Republicans are also vying for the seat in a state that's been in the spotlight for the past several weeks, amid the ongoing fraud investigations and the ICE operations in and around Minneapolis.
Those Republicans include State Representatives Lisa Demuth and Peggy Bennett, former state senator Scott Jensen, businessman Mike Lindell, Brad Kohler, and businessman Patrick Knight.