Klobuchar launches Minnesota governor bid after Walz ends re-election run amid massive fraud scandal
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.
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.
Klobuchar's campaign launch comes as Minnesota is firmly in the national spotlight, because of the ongoing fraud scandal, which has been described as the nation's largest COVID-era scheme.
And over the past month, the state has become the epicenter in the heated battle over President Donald Trump's aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration, following the fatal shootings by federal agents of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis who were protesting deportation operations.
WALZ ON GOP CALLS FOR HIM TO RESIGN OVER FRAUD SCANDAL: ‘OVER MY DEAD BODY’
Klobuchar's campaign launch gives Democrats a high-profile candidate with fundraising prowess to defend the governor's office as Republicans aim to end a two-decade-long losing streak in the blue-leaning state.
The move by Klobuchar was expected, after the senator two weeks ago filed preliminary paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board in what sources in her political orbit told Fox News Digital was a "preliminary step."
And since last month's announcement by Walz, a fellow Democrat, that he was scrapping his bid for an unprecedented third term as Minnesota governor, Klobuchar had been receiving calls urging her to run, Democratic sources confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The senator has won all four of her Senate elections by healthy margins, including a nearly 16-point re-election in 2024.
But Klobuchar, who is currently number three in Senate Democratic leadership, faced hurdles to rise higher in party leadership in the chamber.
FRAUD FALLOUT FORCES WALZ TO ABANDON GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION BID
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York is the top Democrat in the upper chamber and isn't expected to leave his post.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, the number two Democrat in the chamber, is retiring from Congress, leaving an opening to fill in the leadership pecking order. But Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii is the expected heir apparent for that position.
Before serving in …
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.
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.
Klobuchar's campaign launch comes as Minnesota is firmly in the national spotlight, because of the ongoing fraud scandal, which has been described as the nation's largest COVID-era scheme.
And over the past month, the state has become the epicenter in the heated battle over President Donald Trump's aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration, following the fatal shootings by federal agents of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis who were protesting deportation operations.
WALZ ON GOP CALLS FOR HIM TO RESIGN OVER FRAUD SCANDAL: ‘OVER MY DEAD BODY’
Klobuchar's campaign launch gives Democrats a high-profile candidate with fundraising prowess to defend the governor's office as Republicans aim to end a two-decade-long losing streak in the blue-leaning state.
The move by Klobuchar was expected, after the senator two weeks ago filed preliminary paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board in what sources in her political orbit told Fox News Digital was a "preliminary step."
And since last month's announcement by Walz, a fellow Democrat, that he was scrapping his bid for an unprecedented third term as Minnesota governor, Klobuchar had been receiving calls urging her to run, Democratic sources confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The senator has won all four of her Senate elections by healthy margins, including a nearly 16-point re-election in 2024.
But Klobuchar, who is currently number three in Senate Democratic leadership, faced hurdles to rise higher in party leadership in the chamber.
FRAUD FALLOUT FORCES WALZ TO ABANDON GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION BID
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York is the top Democrat in the upper chamber and isn't expected to leave his post.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, the number two Democrat in the chamber, is retiring from Congress, leaving an opening to fill in the leadership pecking order. But Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii is the expected heir apparent for that position.
Before serving in …
Klobuchar launches Minnesota governor bid after Walz ends re-election run amid massive fraud scandal
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.
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.
Klobuchar's campaign launch comes as Minnesota is firmly in the national spotlight, because of the ongoing fraud scandal, which has been described as the nation's largest COVID-era scheme.
And over the past month, the state has become the epicenter in the heated battle over President Donald Trump's aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration, following the fatal shootings by federal agents of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis who were protesting deportation operations.
WALZ ON GOP CALLS FOR HIM TO RESIGN OVER FRAUD SCANDAL: ‘OVER MY DEAD BODY’
Klobuchar's campaign launch gives Democrats a high-profile candidate with fundraising prowess to defend the governor's office as Republicans aim to end a two-decade-long losing streak in the blue-leaning state.
The move by Klobuchar was expected, after the senator two weeks ago filed preliminary paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board in what sources in her political orbit told Fox News Digital was a "preliminary step."
And since last month's announcement by Walz, a fellow Democrat, that he was scrapping his bid for an unprecedented third term as Minnesota governor, Klobuchar had been receiving calls urging her to run, Democratic sources confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The senator has won all four of her Senate elections by healthy margins, including a nearly 16-point re-election in 2024.
But Klobuchar, who is currently number three in Senate Democratic leadership, faced hurdles to rise higher in party leadership in the chamber.
FRAUD FALLOUT FORCES WALZ TO ABANDON GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION BID
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York is the top Democrat in the upper chamber and isn't expected to leave his post.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, the number two Democrat in the chamber, is retiring from Congress, leaving an opening to fill in the leadership pecking order. But Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii is the expected heir apparent for that position.
Before serving in …
