Several defendants in those ongoing cases are of Somali descent – a detail that President Donald Trump seized upon to launch verbal attacks against Minnesota’s Somali community.
State officials say many claims have been exaggerated or debunked, but the controversy has weighed on Walz’s approval ratings and rattled Democrats heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
Minnesota has not elected a Republican to state-wide office since 2006, and party leaders remain bullish about holding the governorship.
Still, Walz’s vulnerabilities had drawn a growing field of potential Republican challengers and prompted quiet calls among Democrats for a reset.
His exit clears the way for a crowded Democratic contest. US Senator Amy Klobuchar is widely viewed as a possible contender, alongside state Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota’s Secretary of State Steve Simon, though none has formally declared.
For Walz, a former teacher, National Guard veteran and union ally, the decision caps a meteoric rise from state politics to the national stage – and leaves Minnesota Democrats to chart their next chapter without one of their most recognisable figures.