St. Paul, Minnesota. — After losing his Democratic vice presidential bid last November, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he hasn’t ruled out running for a third term in the state’s highest office.
“I’ve always said the decision to do this was more driven by people, when they started to see if there was a desire in the direction we’re going in. If we see that the support is there, then I would listen,” Walz said. said Thursday in an interview, his first with WCCO since the campaign ended.
Walz, who is halfway through his second term, said a decision about his political future will be made sometime next year, but for now he is focused on the legislative session that begins in January . The makeup of the capital will be different: A Minnesota House tied between Republicans and Democrats will end the DFL trifecta of the past two years, which has seen a wave of progressive policy victories as paid family leave, gun safety measures, legalized cannabis, abortion rights and more.
That means Minnesota is back with divided government, a defining feature of his first term. He pledged to work with Republicans to pass the next budget, which is the big task ahead next year.
And the state will face a bleak financial outlook in the years to come. State budget prognosticators said the state is spending more money than it takes in, which could lead to a deficit of $5 billion.
“I would also like to make the point that our political climate is not as bad as the national climate. [climate] Again. I think it’s still there. And listen, I’m not naive, but we proved it in 2019. We still managed to get some things out,” Walz said. “So I think coming back now in a climate that looks like we’re going to have a Split House gives us the opportunity to prove to the country once again that we can get things done. »
Minnesota has no term limits for governor, but if Walz were to run again, it would be notable. Democrat Rudy Perpich is the only Minnesota governor in modern history to serve three terms, even if they were not consecutive. Former Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty unsuccessfully attempted a third term in 2018.
Reflecting on the vice presidential campaign, Walz says he needs to ‘learn more about America’
Walz’s track record as governor is part of why Vice President Kamala Harris chose the former school teacher turned politician to be his running mate. Reflecting on his time as vice presidential candidate, Walz said he was proud of the campaign and it was a privilege to travel across the country to make his case to voters.
But he didn’t succeed.
“I think what we need to understand is people’s mindset and understand where they’re at. I think the economic issues have affected them,” Walz told WCCO. “I think we’re going to have to figure out: What kind of leadership do they want? We’re committed to being inclusive. We’re committed to getting people involved. Donald Trump said that’s not what he wanted, and so If that’s what America is moving towards, I guess for me it’s to understand and learn more about America because I thought they were probably going to move towards a more positive message. »
The Democratic Party is to be accountable after defeat – not only in the White House but also in Congress, where Republicans will control both chambers. Walz said his biggest lesson from losing was to listen more and for Democrats to think about how they communicate their message.
Support from the working class propelled President-elect Donald Trump to victory. He recognized these trends.
“I think we’re going to have to figure out if we’re communicating – I think we’re communicating in the right way, but are we communicating in the right spaces? Are we communicating where people are and where they’re listening?” Walz said. “For Donald Trump to be seen as a champion of the middle class, I absolutely don’t see how that could happen, but I recognize that’s where people voted. So I think we both have to decide : is the message the right one?”
California “tests” its policy. Will Minnesota do the same?
California Democrats — who have a supermajority in the state Legislature and control the governor’s office — are participating in a special session to defund the attorney general’s office. he is therefore ready to “put the state to the test of Trump”.
The political balance from Minnesota to St. Paul is very different and it is very unlikely that the Republicans who will share power in the House will agree to do anything similar to California. But Walz said he was thinking about what would happen if Trump kept some of his promises, like eliminate the Ministry of Education and recover money not spent on climate initiatives.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a fellow Democrat, also told Axios he was prepared to file a lawsuit, as he has already done with other Democratic-led states, against the new administration.
“I’m asking my agencies to understand what it would mean if Donald Trump carried out the things he said he was going to do. What would that look like for us here, and how would we be able to respond ?” Walz told WCCO.
Caroline Cummings
