Walz Drops 2026 Reelection Bid; Separately Comments on ICE Presence in Minnesota

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced on January 5, 2026, that he would not run for a third term as governor, according to KARE 11 and CBS News Minnesota. Both outlets reported that the decision came amid increased criticism of Walz's handling of a fraud investigation into several state programs. Walz stated his decision was driven by a need to focus on governing rather than campaigning. CBS News Minnesota additionally reported that former President Trump had reposted a conspiracy theory video alleging Walz was involved in the assassination of former Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, who was killed in her home along with her husband in June 2025; this claim was not corroborated by another independent source and remains unverified as reported. In a separate, later item from February 2026, KSTP reported that Walz said he expected a significant reduction in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel in Minnesota as early as the following week. That report cited border czar Tom Homan's earlier announcement of an immediate drawdown of 700 federal officers, while noting more than 2,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents remained in the state at that time. The fraud investigation referenced in connection with Walz's withdrawal from the governor's race has not been detailed further in the supplied reporting, leaving its scope and findings unresolved. Homan indicated that further reductions in federal immigration personnel would depend on continued local cooperation and an end to attacks on agents, though no specific timeline beyond the following week was confirmed. It remains unclear whether the ICE-related comments and the reelection announcement are connected, as they were reported roughly five weeks apart by different outlets.