Gone were the camo hats and crisp blue suits of the vice presidential campaign trail.
Instead of Midwestern dad energy, DFL Gov. Tim Walz’s vibes felt more like a financial planner, using charts and figures to roll out his two-year budget for Minnesota and demonstrate the “long-term drivers” hiking costs. Some of his ideas sounded similar to those state Republicans had pitched for years: tax reform, spending cuts and tackling fraud.
He thought they should like them, too.
“I think there will be big buy-in from them,” Walz said.
Walz’s budget plan and other proposals he’s rolled out represent a shift in tone for the governor, who is facing a new political reality after his failed national campaign. Instead of a DFL trifecta and a state flush with cash, he must now try to hash out a budget with a narrowly divided Legislature and a multibillion-dollar deficit on the horizon.
“A new political invisible fence has been installed around him. The public is fed up with fraud, Republicans wisely won’t raise taxes and Minnesota has an actual balanced budget requirement,” said former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who also briefly returned to the job after running for national office. “His political roaming area has shrunk significantly.”
Complicating matters is a bitter battle between Republicans and Democrats in the state House, where his party has boycotted the first two weeks of the legislative session to prevent Republicans from taking power for now. The unprecedented situation has forced Walz to wade in, even as it risks damaging his relationship with Republicans.
Republican House members stand to be sworn in while Democratic House seats remain empty at the beginning of the first day of the 2025 Legislature at the State Capitol in St. Paul on Jan. 14. (Renée Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Following a Friday state Supreme Court ruling that Republicans couldn’t conduct any business without at least one Democrat present in the chamber, Walz said he expected the GOP to “drop their unlawful charade” and return to the negotiating table.
Fresh off his defeat in the Minnesota gubernatorial race, Tim Walz is now facing a new political reality in the state. As the former U.S. Representative prepares to leave office, he must navigate a changing landscape in Minnesota politics.
With the recent election of Republican Jeff Johnson as the next governor of Minnesota, Walz will have to adapt to a new political environment. Johnson’s victory marks a shift in power in the state, and Walz will need to find ways to work with the new administration to continue to advocate for his priorities.
Additionally, Walz’s loss in the gubernatorial race may impact his future political ambitions. As he contemplates his next steps, he will need to consider how to stay relevant and influential in Minnesota politics.
Despite the setback of his defeat, Tim Walz remains a respected figure in Minnesota politics. As he faces this new political reality, he will need to rely on his experience, skills, and relationships to continue to make a positive impact in the state.
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