U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is set to replace Minnesota Governor Tim Walz after Walz dropped out of the 2026 race suddenly Monday morning, according to multiple sources.
Walz met with Klobuchar late Sunday, January 4, before announcing Monday morning that he was leaving office and would not seek reelection.
The two-term governor’s exit came amid mounting pressure over his mishandling of massive fraud in state welfare programs.
“Democrats want to replace him with Senator Amy Klobuchar — a career Washington politician who would bring the same failed, dysfunctional D.C. politics to Minnesota,” state GOP chair Alex Plechash warned in a statement.
“Klobuchar didn’t just stand by during the Walz years — she cheered them on.”
Klobuchar won reelection to her Senate seat in 2024, defeating former NBA player Royce White by more than 15 percentage points.
“My first job out of college was working for Amy Klobuchar,” said Minnesota House Democratic Leader Zack Stephenson. “She sent me emails at all hours of the night. No one works harder than Amy Klobuchar.”
“If she decides to run,” Stephenson said, “she will be a force to be reckoned with.”
The Minnesota senator would not be up for reelection until 2030 if she stayed in the Senate.
If she runs and wins the governorship, she would create a vacancy in the Senate and, as governor, would have the power to appoint an interim senator to replace herself.
Republican strategist Michael Brodkorb said Democrats he spoke with are thrilled about the possibility of a Klobuchar candidacy.
“I’m hearing from multiple sources tonight that Sen. Amy Klobuchar is ‘very likely’ to run for governor and will announce quickly,” Brodkorb said. “Democrats I’ve spoken with are thrilled about Klobuchar running, as it unifies and energizes the entire DFL ticket.”