Longtime Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar formally entered the 2026 race for Minnesota governor on Thursday, stepping in just weeks after Gov. Tim Walz abruptly abandoned his re-election bid amid mounting political fallout from a sprawling fraud scandal.
Klobuchar, who was re-elected to a fourth Senate term just 15 months ago, launched her campaign with a social media video that leaned into Minnesota’s clash with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement.
“These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this administration, but who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state,” she said.
Her announcement comes as Minnesota sits under an unflattering national spotlight. The state is grappling with what prosecutors describe as the largest COVID-era fraud scheme in the country, while also serving as ground zero for fierce protests tied to President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown. Two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis during protests tied to deportation operations, further inflaming tensions.
Klobuchar’s entry gives Democrats a well-known, well-funded candidate to defend the governor’s office as Republicans seek to break a two-decade losing streak in statewide races. Her move was widely expected after she quietly filed preliminary paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board earlier this month. Democratic sources said she had been urged to run almost immediately after Walz scrapped his bid for a third term.
The senator has won all four of her Senate races by comfortable margins, including a nearly 16-point victory in 2024. But her path upward in Senate leadership has been limited, with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer staying put and Sen. Brian Schatz positioned to replace retiring Whip Dick Durbin.
Walz’s downfall was swift. After launching his re-election campaign in September, he came under heavy fire in December as details emerged about massive fraud tied to meal programs, housing assistance, daycare centers and Medicaid services. More than 90 people have been charged since 2022, many from Minnesota’s Somali community. Federal prosecutors estimate losses could exceed $1 billion and potentially reach $9 billion.
“This is on my watch, I am accountable for this and, more importantly, I am the one that will fix it,” Walz said in December. He later defiantly rejected calls to resign, telling reporters, “Over my dead body will that happen.”
Republicans have seized on the scandal, making it central to their 2026 campaigns. Nearly a dozen GOP candidates are vying for the nomination, though the race has been complicated by backlash over federal immigration operations and recent shootings.
Despite the shifting terrain, Minnesota Republicans believe the fraud issue remains potent. “Four weeks ago, I would have told you Republicans were going to do incredibly well statewide in Minnesota, and now I have a lot of questions,” GOP strategist Amy Koch said.
Democrats, meanwhile, are betting Amy Klobuchar can steady the ship and keep the governor’s mansion blue, even as the state’s record on governance faces unprecedented scrutiny.
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