By Dave Workman
Embattled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the one-time “A”-rated Democrat who became a gun control proponent in 2024 when he ran for vice president alongside Democrat Kamala Harris in a disastrous campaign, made it official Thursday, saying he will end his political career and not run for office ever again.
Fox News said Walz is “Facing stinging criticism from President Donald Trump, other Republicans, and even some Democrats over a massive fraud scandal rocking Minnesota.” Some critics have suggested Walz has tried to focus on the fatal shooting of anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti in an effort to deflect public attention away from the fraud story. As noted by Fox News, the U.S. attorney in Minnesota suggested the scope of the fraud “could exceed $1 billion and rise to as high as $9 billion.”
Walz made embarrassing headlines in 2025 when he tried to convene a special session of the state legislature to focus on gun control, but lawmakers balked. Instead, he signed executive orders including one to create a “statewide safety council” which will be tasked with studying gun-related violence and coming up with ideas to help reduce its effects.
WALZ DROPS OUT, NOW PUSHES GUN CONTROL
With Walz’ anticipated departure, Democrat U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced she would run to succeed the departing governor in a bid seen by some as an effort to keep Democrat control of the governor’s office.
But Klobuchar could be an even worse problem for Minnesota gun owners, if she is elected. The Giffords gun prohibition lobbying group declares on its website, “Senator Amy Klobuchar has been one of our country’s foremost champions for commonsense gun safety legislation for years, and countless American lives have been saved by her fierce leadership on this issue…Prior to her service on Capitol Hill, Senator Klobuchar served as Hennepin County Attorney, where she was on the front lines of prosecuting gun crimes and working with local partners to reduce and prevent violence in her state’s largest county.”
For Klobuchar, it would appear to be a safe political move, as she won re-election to her U.S. Senate seat in 2024, so if she loses, she can remain in office in Washington, D.C., provided she doesn’t quit the senate to campaign for the gubernatorial seat.
Walz could be in plenty of hot water over the fraud investigation, and had he remained in the race, that issue was likely to cause trouble. It likely would result in his defeat, so by bowing out, he opens the door for another Democrat (DFL) to replace him.
While Klobuchar reportedly “believes in a strong Second Amendment,” she supports a ban on so-called “assault weapons,” “universal background checks and helped push through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022.
