Speculation is ramping up as to what Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will do after he told the WCCO Morning News on Thursday that he'll announce a decision on running for a third term after Labor Day.
Second District Congresswoman Angie Craig (DFL), on with Vineeta Sawkar on the Morning News at the State Fair Friday, said she knows one name that won't be in the mix for governor.
"There's gonna be a big old field of Democrats running for governor," says Craig. "If the governor decides not to seek reelection, which I've said from the start, I hope he does run for re-election, we're gonna have a lot of great Democrats in that race. I will be in the U.S. Senate race."
Craig also would not commit to honoring the DFL endorsement for the U.S. Senate seat that she's seeking. She said she feels everyone - not just a small group inside the party - should get to pick the candidate for the seat being vacated by Sen. Tina Smith.
Craig was among the first to announce plans to run for the seat being vacated by Tina Smith. Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan also announced she will seek the Senate seat, setting up a key DFL battle.
"I've said from the start that I'm gonna seek the DFL endorsement, but I'll see you in the primary," Craig explains. "I think every DFLer across the State of Minnesota should get to pick who their U.S. Senate candidate is. That's democracy. And at the end of the day, this seat hasn't been open for nearly 20 years, and so I want every DFLer to have a say."
On Thursday, Walz yet again kicked that can down the road, saying he's not to the point of making a decision yet on if he will, or won't, seek a third term. The governor says he's still assessing and taking the temperature of voters.
“To be quite honest, eight years is quite a long bit of time," said Walz. "People get tired of that. But look, I don't think anybody has the right to think these jobs belong to them."
That discussion is already well underway on the GOP side of the aisle. Three republican challengers have emerged to take on Walz - or whoever the DFL candidate will be - in 2026. They are his 2022 challenger, Dr. Scott Jensen, Kendall Qualls, and as of Wednesday, Maple Grove Rep. Kristin Robbins.