Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is not ruling out presidential run in 2028
Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is not ruling out a presidential run in 2028.
While speaking on a podcast with The New Yorker posted Sunday, Walz said the following when asked if he would run for president:
"If I think I could offer something...I would certainly consider that. I'm also, though, not arrogant enough to believe there's a lot of people that can do this."
Walz said during The New Yorker Radio Hour that he will run if the circumstances are right in 2028, and if he has the right "skill set" for the moment.
"I'll do whatever it takes. I certainly wouldn't be arrogant enough to think that it needs to be me," he said.
During the podcast, Walz said he didn't plan his life for the roles he's had, but his experiences have prepared him well.
"And, if this experience I've had and what we're going through right now prepares me for that, then I would," he said while discussing a potential run. "But I worry about people who have ambition for elected office. I don't think you should have ambition. I think you should have a desire to do it if you're asked to serve. And that's kind of where I'm at."
Walz' comments come nearly five months after his failed vice presidential bid on the Democratic ticket alongside presidential candidate Kamala Harris. He said on the podcast that he still struggles with the loss, especially while seeing actions taken by the Trump administration.
"An old White guy who ran for vice president, you'll land on your feet pretty well. But I still struggle with it. It was my job to get this one," he said. "And now when I see Medicaid cuts happening, when I see LGBTQ folks being demonized, when I see some of this happening, that's what weighs on me personally."
In an interview with WCCO's Esme Murphy last month, Walz shared similar noncommital comments when asked if he's considering a third term as governor.
"I think right now, we'll get through this legislative session and I think if you see numbers like this, and you see the public being there, and I feel like I'm able to do the job, I think I would look at it," Walz told WCCO on Feb. 9.
He says his decision for another gubernatorial run depends, in part, on his approval rating, which a February poll showed was at 55%.
The governor, who is serving out the remaining two years of his second term, still has $1 million in his campaign treasury.
As his spokesperson confirmed previously, the 60-year-old made it clear in his conversation with The New Yorker that he will not be running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota to replace Sen. Tina Smith during the 2026 midterm elections — mentioning he'd rather "eat glass" than return to Congress.
Walz served for 12 years as a U.S. representative for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District before a successful run to lead the state in 2018.
