Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is seriously considering a run for governor in the wake of Tim Walz’s decision Monday to end his bid for a third term.
Sources close to Klobuchar tell CBS News she is getting outreach encouraging her to run, but that she has not made a final decision yet.
Minnesota is a reliably blue state, and Republicans have a lengthy losing streak in statewide races. Tim Pawlenty, who won two races for governor in 2002 and 2006, is the last Republican to serve the state as governor.
Before Monday, Walz was trying to win what would have been an unprecedented third straight term leading the state.
Walz’s decision to leave the race comes amid intense scrutiny over long-simmering fraud problems in Minnesota, with more revelations and indictments expected. While Walz is not implicated in these cases, the reality that this has become an urgent problem under his watch and generated questions about his performance as governor, enveloping talk of the Minnesotan’s future political ambitions.
Klobuchar is currently in her fourth term as a U.S. Senator following her reelection against Republican candidate Royce White in 2024. She previously defeated Republican candidates Mark Kennedy, Kurt Bills and James Newberger. In all four races, she won with double-digit leads.
This is a developing story. Please stay tuned for more details.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amy-klobuchar-minnesota-governor-race-tim-walz-ends-reelection-bid/
