Amy Klobuchar moves to enter Minnesota governor race after Walz steps aside
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has moved to run for governor of Minnesota, setting up a high-profile Democratic race after Gov. Tim Walz stepped out of
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has moved to run for governor of Minnesota, setting up a high-profile Democratic race after Gov. Tim Walz stepped out of the contest earlier this month. The move gives Democrats a familiar statewide name as the campaign for one of the country’s closely watched governorships takes shape.
FOX 9 reported Klobuchar made the run official on Thursday morning with a video posted to social media after filing preliminary paperwork last week. ABC News also reported that she had filed paperwork to run, moving her closer to an announcement before the formal launch.
A veteran Minnesota Democrat enters the race
Klobuchar is in her fourth term in the U.S. Senate. Her entry shifts the field quickly. Walz’s exit left Democrats looking for a contender with deep name recognition and statewide reach, and Klobuchar fits that profile.
In her video, she pointed to the killings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, along with the ICE surge in Minnesota. She said the moment called for “grit, resilience, and faith in each other,” and added that she believes people must “stand up for what’s right” and “fix what’s wrong.”
Border enforcement tensions sharpen backdrop
Klobuchar has also been outspoken in recent months about ICE tactics in Minnesota, including calls to end Operation Metro Surge. Earlier this year, she said a White House official told her that federal agents in Minnesota were near their “original footprint,” a statement that contradicted a claim from Kristi Noem.
The campaign launch lands after a turbulent stretch in Minnesota politics. Politico reported in January that Klobuchar delayed a governor campaign launch after a Border Patrol killing upended the state’s political landscape. Since then, the debate over public safety, immigration enforcement and federal-state relations has remained raw.
A wider role beyond state politics
Klobuchar has stayed active in Washington on issues that have drawn national attention. In April, she and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz highlighted the first conviction under their bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act, tied to the use of artificial intelligence to create and distribute non-consensual intimate images.
She has also been working with Sen. Jeff Merkley on an effort to ban federal elected officials from profiting from prediction markets.
For Democrats in Minnesota, the immediate question is no longer whether Klobuchar will run. She has. And with that, the race for Walz’s former perch has a new center of gravity.
