Walz withdrawal doesn’t solve Minnesota’s scandals

Published January 9, 2026 4:54am ET



Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) announcement that he will no longer seek reelection this fall was characteristically unimpressive. Yes, he recited a statement that included the words, “the buck stops with me,” which offered a patina of personal responsibility for the outrageous fraud scandals over which he’s presided as Minnesota’s chief executive. But the phony mea culpa barely lasted one sentence. He immediately pivoted to whiny blamestorming:

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