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 announced he would not be running for reelection for a third term. In previous months, the subject of Walz — a Democrat with the state’s DFL party — and fraud in Minnesota has been a focus of criticism by President Donald Trump. 

We asked MPR News readers what questions they have about what comes next. Here’s what they wanted to know.

Who are the potential DFL candidates that could run for governor? 

Walz was the only prominent DFLer who’d announced a bid, but now attention has turned to other Democrats that have past experience with Trump, like U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar. For Republicans, there are several candidates who threw their hats into the race, including House speaker 

If Klobuchar ran, where would she have more influence in the federal government? As a governor or a senator?

Klobuchar and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith represent Minnesota on a national level. Senators are part of the legislative branch of government and do things like propose legislation, draft or amend bills, impeach government officials, conduct investigations and more. 

Governors are responsible for state laws. They sign legislation that passes through the state House and Senate, appoint department and agency leaders, approve state budgets and help the state with emergency and disaster response like severe weather or the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Currently, Klobuchar is a high ranking senator and has a strong position in Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill, but she is also in the political minority. As a governor, she would have more authority, but it would only cover the state of Minnesota. 

Was Walz’s decision not to run for reelection also due to the safety of his family?

During a short press conference on Monday, Walz read a statement announcing he will not seek reelection. He said he reflected with his family and team over the holidays about his previous choice to seek a third term. While he did not explicitly say the safety of his family was part of the decision, his daughter, Hope Walz, has spoken about that concern before. 

On Dec. 10, Hope posted a video on TikTok that she was taking a break from social media. 

“I have gotten some really scary emails, DMs, comments, just stuff on the internet. And it’s gotten to a point where it is not really safe for me to be on the internet,” she said. “What is being said on the internet potentially has real-life consequences that could potentially harm me or family and that is where I draw the line. I just have to look out for my family’s safety.”

Walz, 61, still has nearly one year of his second term to serve. The primary election to determine which candidates will advance to the general election will take place on Aug. 11. The general election will be held on Nov. 3. 

It’s not known what his future plans are, but compared to others in politics he is relatively young and could pursue other options to stay active in the scene.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he would not be running for reelection for a third term. We asked MPR News readers what questions they have about what comes next.

Walz isn’t running for a third term as governor, what happens now? Your questions answered

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