Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has called off his bid for re-election amid mounting pressure over the corruption scandal that has engulfed his administration in recent weeks.
The move comes days after a handful of Republican state lawmakers called on Walz to resign, citing a federal prosecutor’s report that found at least half of the $18 billion disbursed through Minnesota’s 14 Medicaid waiver programs since 2018 may be fraudulent. They argued that Mr. Walz was doing nothing about the “crisis.”
Walz cited increased pressure as one of the reasons for his decision to withdraw from racing.
“When I reflected on this moment with my family and team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I could not devote myself fully to a political campaign,” he said.
“So I have decided to withdraw from the campaign, let others worry about the election, and focus on my job,” Walz continued in the statement.
