Gov. Tim Walz ended his bid for a third term as Minnesota governor Monday — seeming to cap a political career that sent the former teacher and National Guard veteran all the way to national stage when he was named Kamala Harris’ running mate in 2024.
U.S. Rep. Tim Walz speaks to reporters after filing campaign finance paperwork for his 2018 gubernatorial campaign on Monday, March 27, 2017. Walz’ daughter Hope and wife Gwen look on. (David Montgomery / Pioneer Press)
That year he joined Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale as Minnesotans to be on a national ticket.
Walz, a Democrat, got involved in politics during the 2004 John Kerry presidential campaign. He was first elected to Congress in 2006, defeating incumbent U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, a Republican, in Minnesota’s 1st District. The largely rural district covers much of the southern portion of the state and is seen as fairly conservative.
While in Congress Walz was on the Agriculture, Armed Services and Veteran Affairs committees.
In 2017, Walz announced he was running for governor. He was elected the next year, defeating GOP candidate Jeff Johnson. He and running mate Peggy Flanagan at the time chalked up their victory to their theme of “One Minnesota,” a relatively centrist message that they would seek common ground across the state. Walz won re-election in 2022 defeating Dr. Scott Jensen.
A hunter, Walz was something of a moderate and even had the endorsement of the NRA early in his career. However, after becoming governor he would sign a number of gun-control bills.
Pandemic, riots
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, left, laughs after Gov. Tim Walz requested a “Hello Kitty” bandage after receiving an updated COVID-19 booster shot during a news event in the Governor’s Reception Room at the State Capitol building in St. Paul on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
During the pandemic in 2020 Walz ordered all nonessential workers to stay at home and called for the closure of schools and banned large public gatherings. During the pandemic he directed hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal relief funds to local governments, food shelves and food banks.
Also in 2020 George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer sparking riots in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Walz activated the National Guard in response though critics said it should have happened sooner.
In an interview with the Pioneer Press months afterward, he noted the challenges of that time.
“I’m not going to make the case that every decision we made was correct, but I can assure people that we made it with the best data at the time, with the best interests of Minnesota at heart,” Walz said.
2023 Legislature, 2024 campaign
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, left, speak at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)
The 2023 Legislature — under DFL control — passed a $72 billion budget that Walz and DFLers called the “One Minnesota” budget.
It included bills to create $1.5 billion in new child tax credits, boost funding for education by $2.2 billion and provide free public college tuition to people from families earning $80,000 or less each year. It also provided free meals to Minnesota students regardless of income.
GOP critics point to billions in new taxes in the budget despite the state’s historic $17.5 billion budget surplus. And, they disputed Walz’s “One Minnesota” characterization, saying the bills had minimal input from the minority — which represents districts containing just under half of the state’s population.
Walz was named as Harris’ running mate in 2024 after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. He didn’t hesitate to paint his political opponents in a negative light.
“These are weird people on the other side. They want to take books away. They want to be in your exam room,” Walz said in a TV interview during the campaign.
While Harris seemed to think Walz would help shore up her campaign in the Midwest, the ticket went on to lose to Donald Trump and JD Vance. Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — once part of the so-called “Blue Wall” — went for the Republican ticket.
New fraud cases
News of fraud in state-run Medicaid programs has garnered significant attention in recent months, but before that came the $250 million Feeding Our Future scandal.
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In that case, the now 78 defendants have been accused of claiming reimbursement from the state education department for meals they never served in a federal pandemic children’s food program. More than 50 have been convicted.
At a news conference last month announcing charges against six individuals who authorities say defrauded the state of millions in various schemes, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said he believed “a significant amount” of the $18 billion paid out by 14 “high-risk” Medicaid-funded programs since 2018 was lost to fraud — possibly half or more.
The governor has made efforts to address the fraud. Last year, he directed the creation of a fraud investigation unit at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
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And, the Department of Human Services moved to shut down a Medicaid-funded housing stabilization program beset by fraud after news emerged in July of a federal investigation into several providers. Walz also recently named Tim O’Malley, former superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension under Gov. Tim Pawlenty, to serve as director of program integrity, essentially fraud-prevention czar.
But the moves haven’t stemmed the criticism, particularly from the GOP, that he reacted too late and hasn’t done enough on the issue.
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