THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: Will Tim Walz Have To Withdraw?

The ongoing revelations and allegations of massive

fraud in Minnesota will have numerous legal

consequences in the months and years ahead.

There will also be political consequences, especially

in the state’s midterm campaign cycle now underway,

and which could affect election outcomes in races for

governor, all other statewide offices, U.S. senator,

and races for U.S. House.

The heaviest burden of responsibility and political

blame arising from widespread fraud in various 

state-run programs will likely fall on Democratic-Farmer-

Labor (DFL) Governor Tim Walz and his administration.

Walz recently announced he will run next year for an

unprecedented third four-year term, despite polls

indicating significant loss of his voter approval even

before the lates allegations of fraud and

mismanagement of state programs.

In recent years the DFL has been the dominant political

party in Minnesota, controlling all statewide offices and

most of the offices in Minneapolis and St.Paul, as well

as in most other cities.

The Republican Party in Minnesota leads only in rural

and other outstate areas, and holds four of the eight 

congressional seats. The DFL lead among urban

voters, especially in Minneapolis and St. Paul, has

significantly outnumbered any GOP lead outstate.

The DFL state party has also created a formidable

get-out-the-vote (GOTV) operation throughout the

state. The GOP state party has floundered in recent

years, and has no GOTV organization to match

their opponents.

In 2024, with its own Governor Walz on the national

ticket, however, the DFL won the state by far less than

expected, and in the 2025 off-year local elections, the

DFL was bitterly divided in the state’s largest city’s

mayoral election in Minneapolis. In the states’s

capital and second largest city, the DFL mayor was

opposed and in an upset, defeated by a more

moderate DFL challenger. In Minneapolis, the

moderate liberal incumbent survived a bitter challenge

from a socialist candidate.

Several major Republican candidates have already

announced they will run for governor of Minnesota

next year. 

A private poll recently indicated that the race for

the open U.S. senate seat is much closer than

expected by most political observers of both parties.

A potentially competitive race for the 2nd District\

congressional has occurred following the DFL

incumbent’s retirement to run for the U.S. senate

seat.

Bitter feelings between some DFL leaders in the

aftermath of the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral election

could linger to divide the usual party unity, and

affect the DFL’s vital GOTV efforts in 2026.

Governor Tim Walz is the likeliest focus of political

criticism in this rapidly changing political

environment. When he announced for re-election,

it was assumed he would have no challengers from

his own party. But if the growing fraud scandal

allegations continue to pile up and prove true, he

may be forced, as Joe Biden did in 2024, to retire

from his re-election race or face certain defeat.

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Copyright (c) 2025 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.