NEW: Dem Senator Amy Klobuchar launches bid for Minnesota governor

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has announced that she is running for governor of Minnesota. This comes just weeks after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said that he will not seek re-election amid a fraud scandal taking place in the state.

Klobuchar launched the campaign with the release of a video posted to X.

"I believe we must stand up for what's right, and fix what's wrong. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for governor of the state of Minnesota," she said.

“These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this administration,” Klobuchar added in the video. “But who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state.”

Since Walz dropped out of the race, no other major Democrat has waded into the race for governor, but it was rumored that Klobuchar was planning to jump in. With Klobuchar’s high profile, the field of Democrats is likely to remain sparse for primary leading into a general election.

As she enters the race, there has been chaos taking place in Minnesota. Walz announced he would not run for re-election on January 5, just days after a viral report from independent journalist Nick Shirley exposed alleged widespread fraud taking place at state-subsidized daycare and health centers, many of them being run by those in the Minnesota Somali community. Additionally, the Trump administration has surged Immigration and Customs Enforcement forces in the state. 

Klobuchar won her fourth term in the Senate for Minnesota in 2024, and has been in Washington for over two decades.