Tim Walz has announced his retirement from politics. The Minnesota governor has declared that he will not run for any political office after the conclusion of his second term this year.
The Democratic leader said in an interview with MS NOW, “I have no political consideration. I will never run for an elected office again. Never again.”
Walz’s statement comes at a time when his administration is being questioned over Medicaid fraud. The 61-year-old politician is being targeted by Republican leaders after reports surfaced that billions of dollars in taxpayer money were stolen by fraudsters through state-run programs.
🚨 JUST IN: A terrified Tim Walz announces he’s NEVER seeking elected office AGAIN
Trump broke him 😭😭
“I will never run again!”
RESIGN NOW, TIM!pic.twitter.com/0tfJJtON3r
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 29, 2026
As estimated by federal prosecutors in late 2025, as much as $9 billion allocated for Medicaid and social service programs may have been lost due to to fraud.
After the backlash, Walz decided not to run for governor for a third consecutive term. He announced in January 2026 that he would step away from his campaign and instead focus on the investigation into the fraud.
Walz told the media at the time, “Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences. So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.”
Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar has now announced her bid for the elections and is willing to succeed Walz. Dropping out of the gubernatorial race, however, did not mark the end of Tim Walz’s problems.
He also had to deal with the ICE crackdown in Minnesota and the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Walz called for the removal of enforcement agents from his state, but seemed helpless as the Trump administration refused to listen.
Instead, the federal government launched an investigation into the governor for allegedly impeding law enforcement during the crackdown. The Department of Justice even issued a subpoena to Tim Walz.
The controversies and the federal government’s pressure seem to have gotten the better of the politician, and he ultimately decided to quit politics. However, Walz has ensured that he will continue to serve the public in different ways.
Minnesota’ Tim Walz says that he will never run for an elected office again
Amy Klobuchar wants to replace him pic.twitter.com/1eoZopQI8Q
— Lara (@TradingLara) January 29, 2026
Citing the example of the people protesting the ICE operation in Minnesota, Tim Walz said they are ‘heroes’ who are bringing about change in the world without running for any political office.
Walz said, “They’re never going to run for office, and those grass-tops leaders brought this administration to their knees this week to do something about it. So there are other ways to serve, and I’ll find them.”
According to Walz’s statement, he is now ready to end his two-decade-long political career. He was first elected to the House of Representatives from Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District in 2006.
He served six terms in Congress before being elected as the governor of Minnesota in 2018. Walz won re-election in 2022 and was later named the Democratic vice-presidential candidate in 2024.
