Republican Congressional candidate Michelle Fischbach speaks during a rally for President Donald Trump at the Bemidji Regional Airport on Sept. 18, 2020, in Bemidji, Minn. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
"His career is ending because Walz and the Democrats allowed Minnesota to become a national playground for fraudsters, and his radical negligence has cost Minnesotans billions," Fischbach said.
Minnesota first elected Walz as governor in 2018 and then re-elected him in 2022. Walz ran briefly for the White House as a part of Vice President Kamala Harris’ ticket in 2024, but, after he was unsuccessful, announced plans to pursue a third term as governor.
His decision to drop out of that race comes as new revelations about fraud in Minnesota show the state could have lost as much as $9 billion under Walz’s leadership through abuse of its government assistance programs.
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Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., speaks to a reception with the Congressional Hockey Caucus on March 6, 2024, in Washington. (John McCreary/Getty Images)
With an eye toward the future, Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minn., lamented that the fraud rings in Minnesota would take time to unwind and that the state would have a long road ahead toward healing.
"Unfortunately, it will take years to undo the damage he has done to the state of Minnesota. The next Governor of Minnesota will have a massive task ahead of them to root out systemic waste, fraud and abuse. I am committed to working with my fellow Minnesotans to ensure we elect a Republican governor who will restore trust in state government and the reputation of our great state," Finstad said in a post to X.
Despite Walz’s announcement, Fischbach said that Republican efforts to investigate fraud and abuse in Minnesota would continue.
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"The era of looking the other way is over. Minnesota Democrats: Take note. We are coming for accountability and will continue to investigate until every stolen dollar is accounted for," Fischbach said.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/minnesota-republicans-say-tim-walz-not-off-hook-after-dropping-re-election-bid