Tim Walz says he’ll seek a third term as Minnesota’s governor

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday he will seek a third term in the 2026 elections, hoping to beat the odds to become the longest-serving governor in a state where voters have usually said two terms were plenty.

In a campaign video posted on YouTube, Walz said he’s running because his work is not done and he wants to make Minnesota a place where everyone has a chance succeed.

“I’ve seen how we help each other through the hard times,” he said. “And boy, we’ve seen terrible times this year. I’m heartbroken and angry about the beautiful people we lost to gun violence. But it’s in these moments we have to come together. We can’t lose hope because I’ve seen what we can do when we work together.”

Vice President Kamala Harris picked Walz as her running mate on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket after his attack line against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance — “These guys are just weird” — spread widely.

Walz had been building up his national profile since their defeat in November. He’s been a sharp critic of Trump as he’s toured early caucus and primary states. In May, he called on Democrats in South Carolina to stand up to Trump, saying, “Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner.”

The governor came under heavy GOP criticism after a Minnesota speech in May when he compared Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents under Trump to the Gestapo in Nazi Germany. Congressional Republicans called him out at a hearing on immigration in June, but he refused to apologize.