Trump critic Klobuchar enters Minnesota governor race amid ICE crackdown, fraud scandals
The four-term Democratic senator enters the 2026 race to succeed Tim Walz, positioning herself as a force against the immigration crackdown
US Senator Amy Klobuchar said on Thursday she is running for governor of Minnesota, promising to take on US President Donald Trump while unifying a state that has endured a series of challenges even before the federal government’s immigration crackdown.
Klobuchar’s decision gives Democrats a high-profile candidate and proven statewide winner as their party tries to hold onto the office occupied by Governor Tim Walz. The 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Walz abandoned his campaign for a third term earlier this month amid criticism over mismanagement of taxpayer funding for child care programmes.
“Minnesota, we’ve been through a lot,” Klobuchar said in a video announcement Thursday. “These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this administration – but who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state.”
Klobuchar cited Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, federal officers killing two Minnesotans who protested, the assassination of a state legislative leader and a school shooting that killed multiple children – all within the last year. She avoided direct mention of ongoing fraud investigations into the child care programmes that Trump has made a political cudgel.
“I believe we must stand up for what’s right and fix what’s wrong,” Klobuchar said.
The senator has been among the loudest Trump critics, most recently over the immigration enforcement effort that has prompted massive protests.