Statement from MN GOP Chair Alex Plechash on Gov. Walz’s Running for Third Term Announcement

ST. PAUL, MN – Today Governor Tim Walz announced he will seek an unprecedented third term. His rhetoric of “historic progress” could not be further from reality.

Minnesotans are struggling under Tim Walz’s failed leadership:

• Lower growth than the nation – Minnesota’s economy has grown at less than half the pace of the national average since Walz took office. Families and businesses are leaving for states with lower taxes and more opportunity.

• $10+ billion in new taxes – Walz hiked taxes on everyday Minnesotans, including a new Amazon delivery tax, a 20-cent gas tax increase, and higher fees that hit the middle class the hardest.

• Failed schools – Only 50% of Minnesota students can read at grade level and only 45% are proficient in math. In some districts, fewer than 1 in 3 students are at grade level. Minnesota girls’ math scores fell behind boys by nearly half a grade level post-COVID — one of the worst gaps in the nation.

• Teachers Union cronies protected – While enriching the teachers’ union with sweetheart deals, Walz left parents and kids behind.

• Over $1 billion in fraud – Walz presided over the largest welfare fraud scandal in state history. More than $1 billion was stolen through Feeding Our Future and related schemes. Yet no one was fired. No bureaucrats were held accountable. Minnesotans were left footing the bill.

• Rising crime – Violent crime spiked on his watch, with Minneapolis recording some of its highest homicide rates in decades.

• Giveaways to illegals – Free college tuition, taxpayer-funded health care, and driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants while Minnesota families faced rising costs and declining services.

And now, Walz is championing policies that steal opportunities from our daughters. He signed laws allowing biological boys into girls’ sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms. At this year’s high school softball state tournament, a girls’ team was forced to compete against a biological male — denying Minnesota girls a fair shot at a state championship. This isn’t “progress,” it’s injustice.

Governor Walz’s record is one of misplaced priorities and broken promises. His claim that “we’re just getting started” is not a promise — it’s a threat. Minnesotans cannot afford four more years of higher taxes, failing schools, unsafe streets, fraud, and policies that undermine fairness for women and girls.

The fact is clear: Walz is already upside-down in the polls, and no amount of campaign spin can cover up the truth — Minnesota families are worse off under his leadership. It’s time for new leadership and a fresh direction. Minnesota deserves better.

— Alex Plechash, Chair
Republican Party of Minnesota