REGION – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Monday announced that he would no longer be seeking reelection to a potential third term as the state’s leader.
The announcement comes as there are several investigations and trials into fraud in state programs.
Rep. Jim Joy reacts
District 4B State Representative Jim Joy told Flag Family News in a statement that the announcement Monday isn’t surprising.
“With all the fraud occurring under his watch, there needs to be accountability. It’s deeply saddening to see how much fraud is taking place. We must rein in government spending and restore proper checks and balances,” he said. “It’s time we become better stewards of taxpayer money. If he is truly serious about stopping fraud, he should call a special session to address it.”
Sen. Rob Kupec reacts
Like Joy, State Senator Rob Kupec said he was ‘not completely surprised’ at Walz’s announcement.
He told Flag Family News in a phone interview Monday afternoon that he had heard ‘whispers’ of Walz’s announcement as early as last month.
“Certainly, that’s a big step to walk away from a reelection and a job that clearly the governor loves,” Kupec said.
Listen to Flag Family News Reporter Chris Larson’s interview with Sen. Rob Kupec
The Moorhead Democrat said that there’s still time for the party to get a candidate for the November general election.
“I think there’s a pretty deep bench of people,” he said. “I think there were people that were thinking about this, eyeing this, before we knew, for sure, that the governor was going to seek a third term.”
He said he’s not worried about the party getting the right candidate.
When asked what he felt would define Walz’s legacy in Minnesota, Kupec said leading the state through the COVID-19 pandemic and Walz’s response to the civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd were among those.
“Those were really tumultuous times,” he said. “Not knowing, never experiencing that, I think the governor did a pretty good job of navigating the state through that.”
He said it’s ‘unfortunate’ that fraud ‘will be a little stain’ on his record.
Kupec said he wished the governor had visited Greater Minnesota more.
“I’ve always been a big proponent of the governor going to all places around the state,” he said. ”I do wish he had done a little more of that (visiting rural areas). I have expressed that to his people, to say that hopefully he’ll get out into more of those places.”
Sen. Mark Johnson reacts
In a phone interview Monday morning with Flag Family News, Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, a Republican from East Grand Forks, said there was ‘no way’ Walz would be able to escape responsibility for the alleged fraud.
“Even though it’s a surprise how quickly he announced he wasn’t going to be running, I think a lot of people saw that coming,” he said. “I think people wanted it to go further and see his resignation based on the lack of leadership that he gave over the last eight years.”
Listen to Flag Family News Reporter Chris Larson’s interview with Sen. Mark Johnson
Johnson said Walz did not give legislative leadership any signs that an announcement was forthcoming.
“He has not given any public statement or anything since December 26,” he said. “That period when he’s been quiet, which is not typical for Governor Walz, was kind of odd.”
Walz met with Senator Amy Klobuchar on Sunday, ahead of Monday’s announcement. She’s been rumored as a possible candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor.
Johnson said he’s also heard possible candidates may be Secretary of State Steve Simon and Attorney General Keith Ellison.
He calls the shakeup ‘one of those Biden moves.’
“They’ve thrown out Walz, and now they have to find the next chosen one,” Johnson said. “No matter what happens, it’s simply a symptom of the party and what the Democrats have been doing in this state for way too long.”
He said there are a number of Republican candidates ‘who are very eager to set the ship straight’ in Minnesota.
“I’m hoping that’s what happens,” Johnson said.
